Aaron Black makes PBA history as lowest draft pick to win Rookie of the Year

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

Aaron Black of the Meralco Bolts just etched his name in the PBA history books as the lowest draft pick to clinch the Rookie of the Year award.

Picked 18th overall during the 2019 annual PBA draft, Coach Norman Black’s son proved that he earned that spot after impressing in the bubble.

The crafty leftie from the Ateneo Blue Eagles hit clutch baskets and was one of their most consistent players, making him one of the biggest revelations during the Philippine Cup.

Black averaged 6.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 18 games of play inside the bubble and emerged victorious against Arvin Tolentino of Ginebra, Barkley Eboña of Alaska, and Aris Dionisio of Magnolia.

“Definitely feels great. This will definitely push me to work hard next conference,” Black said after achieving a stellar PBA history.

The award was won in landslide fashion, with 811 points garnered from statistics, 1,022 from the media, 19 from the players, and 150 from the PBA, making it a total of 2,002 overall first-place votes.