Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi is on the list of nine players selected for the NBA Rookies All-Star team.

The Rookies, the best first-year players, will take on the Sophomores, the best second-year players in Dallas on February 12 as part of the annual NBA All-Star showpiece event.

Casspi, 21 and standing 6ft 8", became the first Israeli ever to play in the NBA when he was chosen as number 23 in the draft last summer. The former Maccabi Tel Aviv player signed a three-year contract with the Kings worth $3.5 million.

He has played in 42 games and has been in the starting five 16 times, averaging 12.2 points and 27.6 minutes a game.

Casspi was selected for the All-Stars despite a dip in form over the past few weeks. Earlier this month he scored a career best 24 points as the Kings beat the Phoenix Suns 113-109, and 23 points as the Kings lost on the buzzer to the LA Lakers 109-108.

This week he scored 13 points as the Kings were beaten 115-84 by Miami Heat 115-84. This was followed by a single point haul as the Kings beat Golden State Warrriors 99-96 on Tuesday.