Tari Eason Earns NBA All-Rookie Honors

The former Tiger made second-team All-Rookie

While the NBA’s in the midst of an exciting postseason, the league’s regular season accolades are starting to roll out and a former Tiger was recognized for his efforts this season.

Tari Eason was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie second team. Joining him are Jaden Ivey and Jalen Durant, both from the Detroit Pistons, San Antonio’s Jeremy Sochan, and Eason’s current Houston Rocket teammate Jabari Smith Jr.

Paolo Banchero (Orlando), Walker Kessler (Utah), Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City), Keegan Murray (Sacramento) and Benedict Mathurin (Indiana) were on the first-team All-Rookie, and Banchero was also voted Rookie of the Year.

Houston was awful this season (22-60), but Eason, who was taken 17th in the draft, had a strong first season. Eason averaged a respectable 9 points and 6 rebounds while shooting 44 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the free throw line. He also played in all 82 games, a rarity in the load management world we’re living in.

Eason only spent one season in Baton Rouge after transferring from Cincinatti but made the most of it. Eason was LSU’s best player on that 2021-2022 team and was named the SEC’s Sixth Man of the Year after averaging 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals a game.