Charlotte forward Emeka Okafor has won the NBA's Rookie of the Year award, narrowly beating best friend Ben Gordon of Chicago Bulls, a Bobcats source told The Associated Press.

The award will be announced on Wednesday. The Bobcats have called a news conference for what they have only called "a major announcement."

Okafor, the No. 2 overall pick in the NBA draft, led all rookies in scoring (15.9 points per game) and rebounding (10.9 rpg) and was second in his class behind Atlanta's Josh Smith in blocks (1.71). He also ranked second in the NBA with 3.8 offensive rebounds per game.