Gordon and Deng Earn All-Rookie First Team Honors
First time in franchise history that the Bulls had two players selected to the First Team

May 5, 2005
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The NBA announced today that Chicago Bulls rookies Ben Gordon and Luol Deng have been chosen by the League’s head coaches to the 2004-05 got milk? NBA All-Rookie First Team.

It is the first time in franchise history that the Bulls had two players selected to the First Team and the 12th time in NBA history that two players from the same team were elected to the First Team.

Gordon, one of three unanimous selections to the First Team, along with Charlotte’s Emeka Okafor and Orlando’s Dwight Howard, received 58 points. Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala (56 points) and Deng (33 points) round out the top five.

All 30 head coaches from the NBA voted, but were not permitted to vote for players on their own team. First team votes were worth two points, while second team votes were worth one point.

Gordon, the third pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, appeared in all 82 games (three starts) and averaged a rookie-best 15.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 2.0 apg (7th among rookies) in 24.4 mpg (10th). He shot .411 from the field, a Bulls’ rookie record .405 from behind the arc (3rd among rookies, 18th in the NBA) and .863 from the free throw line (1st, 16th).

Gordon also finished with 3.21 3FG per 48 minutes (8th in the NBA), 29.6 points per 48 minutes (11th in the NBA) and 10.41 FG per 48 minutes (15th in the NBA). His 134 three-pointers are the second most by a rookie in Bulls’ history, behind Kirk Hinrich’s 144 3FGM set last year, and rank fifth overall in team annals.

Deng, acquired in a Draft-night trade with Phoenix, was the seventh selection in the 2004 NBA Draft. He played in 61 games (45 starts) and posted averages of 11.7 ppg (4th among rookies), 5.3 rpg (6th) and 2.2 apg (5th) in 27.3 mpg (6th). He shot .434 from the field and .741 from the line. On the year, he scored 10 or more points in 33 games and recorded three double-doubles. At the age of 20, Deng becomes the youngest Bull ever to garner First Team accolades.

With Gordon and Deng’s selections, this marks the second time that the Bulls have had two rookies named to the All-Rookie Teams in the same year. In 1999-2000, Elton Brand (First Team) and Ron Artest (Second Team) were the first duo to earn All-Rookie honors in the same season.

Visit Bulls.com ... to see the complete All-Rookie teams, a list of Chicago Bulls All-Rookie Team Selections, and more. .

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