Wednesday 5 February 2020 07:04, UK
LeBron James has been named the Western Conference Player of the Month for January while Giannis Antetokounmpo has scooped the honour in the East.
Los Angeles Lakers forward James averaged 25.4 points (50.4. FG%), 8.1 rebounds, 10.4 assists and 1.4 steals while leading the Lakers to a 10-4 record in January. In 13 games, the NBA's third all-time leading scorer tallied 13 double-digit scoring outings, including 10 games with 20+ points and five 30-point contests.
James recorded double-digit assists in eight games, including a career-high-tying 19 assists against the Orlando Magic, and finished the month with nine double-doubles, including three triple-doubles.
For the season, James is averaging 25.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, a career-high 10.7 assists and 1.3 steals in 34.8 minutes per game while helping lead the Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference.
He was named Western Conference Player of the Week on January 5 and was named an All-Star Game starter for an NBA-record 16th time after leading all players in voting for the fourth consecutive season.
The league leader in total assists, assists per game and double-digit assist games, James earns his NBA-record 39th career monthly award and first since March/April 2018. He becomes the first Lakers player to earn the award since Kobe Bryant in February 2013.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Antetokounmpo earned his seventh Eastern Conference Player of the Month award in the last eight months of play, dating back to last season.
While leading the Bucks to an NBA-best 11-2 record in January, Antetokounmpo averaged 29.2 points (third in Eastern Conference), 13.4 rebounds (second in Eastern Conference) and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 54.7 per cent from the field.
In 12 games last month, Antetokounmpo tallied nine games with 20+ points and 10+rebounds, including six with 30+ points and 10+ rebounds, and posted his fourth triple-double of the season in a win over the Bulls on January 20.
On the season, Antetokounmpo is averaging career-highs in points (30.0, second in NBA) and rebounds (13.1, fifth in NBA) per game in addition to 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks in 30.7 minutes per contest while shooting 55.1 per cent overall.
The NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player, Antetokounmpo is on pace to become the first player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972-73, and just the fourth player ever, to average 30.0 points, 13.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in a season.
Overall this is the eighth time Antetokounmpo has earned Player of the Month honours in his career.
Since the start of the 2018-19 season, Antetokounmpo has won the award in all but one month.
