NBA Rookie of the Year Award
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, named after the former Philadelphia Warriors head coach.
National Basketball Association awards and honors | ||
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Sport | Basketball |
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League | National Basketball Association |
Awarded for | Best first year player in regular season of the National Basketball Association |
History | |
First award | 1952–53 |
Most recent | Scottie Barnes (Toronto Raptors) |
The winner is selected by a panel of United States and Canadian sportswriters and broadcasters,[1] each casting first-, second-, and third-place votes (worth five points, three points, and one point, respectively). The player(s) with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award.[2]
The most recent Rookie of the Year winner is Scottie Barnes of the Toronto Raptors. Twenty-one winners were drafted first overall. Sixteen winners have also won the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in their careers with Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld earning both honors the same season. Thirty of the non-active winners have been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Three seasons had joint winners—Dave Cowens and Geoff Petrie in the 1970–71 season, Grant Hill and Jason Kidd in the 1994–95 season, and Elton Brand and Steve Francis in the 1999–2000 season.[3] Five players won the award unanimously (by capturing all of the first-place votes)—Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard, and Karl-Anthony Towns.[4]
Patrick Ewing of Jamaica,[5] Pau Gasol of Spain, Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons of Australia, Andrew Wiggins of Canada, and Luka Dončić of Slovenia are the only winners not born in the United States. Three of these individuals have dual nationality by birth—Wiggins and Simmons have American fathers, and both of Irving's parents are Americans. Ewing immigrated to the Boston area at age 11, Irving moved to the United States at age 2, and Wiggins and Simmons moved to the U.S. while in high school. Gasol and Dončić are the only winners trained entirely outside the United States.
Chamberlain (Harlem Globetrotters), Gasol (FC Barcelona of Liga ACB and EuroLeague), Dončić (Real Madrid of Liga ACB and EuroLeague), and Ball (BC Prienai of the Lithuanian Basketball League, the Los Angeles Ballers of the JBA, and the Illawarra Hawks of the NBL) all had professional careers outside the NBA prior to being drafted. Ball also had previously won the NBL Rookie of the Year Award.
Winners






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^ | Denotes player who is still active in the NBA |
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* | Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as player |
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Denotes unanimous winners |
DP # | Draft pick number |
DY | Draft year |
T | Territorial pick |
Season | Player | Position | Nationality | Team | School/Prior Experience | DP # | DY |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1952–53 | Don Meineke | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Fort Wayne Pistons | Dayton | 12 | 1952 |
1953–54 | Ray Felix | Center | ![]() |
Baltimore Bullets | Long Island | 1 | 1953 |
1954–55 | Bob Pettit* | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Milwaukee Hawks | LSU | 2 | 1954 |
1955–56 | Maurice Stokes* | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Rochester Royals | Saint Francis (PA) | 2 | 1955 |
1956–57 | Tom Heinsohn* | Forward | ![]() |
Boston Celtics | Holy Cross | T | 1956 |
1957–58 | Woody Sauldsberry | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Philadelphia Warriors | Texas Southern | 60 | 1957 |
1958–59 | Elgin Baylor* | Forward | ![]() |
Minneapolis Lakers | Seattle | 1 | 1958 |
1959–60 | Wilt Chamberlain*[lower-alpha 1] | Center | ![]() |
Philadelphia Warriors (2) | Kansas, Harlem Globetrotters | T | 1959 |
1960–61 | Oscar Robertson* | Guard | ![]() |
Cincinnati Royals (2) | Cincinnati | 1/T | 1960 |
1961–62 | Walt Bellamy* | Center | ![]() |
Chicago Packers (2) | Indiana | 1 | 1961 |
1962–63 | Terry Dischinger | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Chicago Zephyrs (3) | Purdue | 8 | 1962 |
1963–64 | Jerry Lucas*[lower-alpha 2] | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Cincinnati Royals (3) | Ohio State | T | 1962[lower-alpha 2] |
1964–65 | Willis Reed* | Center/Forward | ![]() |
New York Knicks | Grambling | 8 | 1964 |
1965–66 | Rick Barry* | Forward | ![]() |
San Francisco Warriors (3) | Miami (FL) | 2 | 1965 |
1966–67 | Dave Bing* | Guard | ![]() |
Detroit Pistons (2) | Syracuse | 2 | 1966 |
1967–68 | Earl Monroe* | Guard | ![]() |
Baltimore Bullets (4) | Winston-Salem State | 2 | 1967 |
1968–69 | Wes Unseld*[lower-alpha 1] | Center/Forward | ![]() |
Baltimore Bullets (5) | Louisville | 2 | 1968 |
1969–70 | Lew Alcindor* | Center | ![]() |
Milwaukee Bucks | UCLA | 1 | 1969 |
1970–71[lower-alpha 3] | Dave Cowens* | Center/Forward | ![]() |
Boston Celtics (2) | Florida State | 4 | 1970 |
Geoff Petrie | Guard | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers | Princeton | 8 | 1970 | |
1971–72 | Sidney Wicks | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers (2) | UCLA | 2 | 1971 |
1972–73 | Bob McAdoo* | Center/Forward | ![]() |
Buffalo Braves | North Carolina (Jr.) | 2 | 1972 |
1973–74 | Ernie DiGregorio | Guard | ![]() |
Buffalo Braves (2) | Providence (Sr.) | 3 | 1973 |
1974–75 | Jamaal Wilkes* | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors (4) | UCLA (Sr.) | 11 | 1974 |
1975–76 | Alvan Adams | Center/Forward | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns | Oklahoma (Jr.) | 4 | 1975 |
1976–77 | Adrian Dantley* | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Buffalo Braves (3) | Notre Dame (Jr.) | 6 | 1976 |
1977–78 | Walter Davis | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns (2) | North Carolina (Sr.) | 5 | 1977 |
1978–79 | Phil Ford | Guard | ![]() |
Kansas City Kings (4) | North Carolina (Sr.) | 2 | 1978 |
1979–80 | Larry Bird*[lower-alpha 4] | Forward | ![]() |
Boston Celtics (3) | Indiana State (Jr.) | 6 | 1978[lower-alpha 4] |
1980–81 | Darrell Griffith | Guard | ![]() |
Utah Jazz | Louisville (Sr.) | 2 | 1980 |
1981–82 | Buck Williams | Forward/Center | ![]() |
New Jersey Nets | Maryland (Jr.) | 3 | 1981 |
1982–83 | Terry Cummings | Forward | ![]() |
San Diego Clippers (4) | DePaul (Jr.) | 2 | 1982 |
1983–84 | Ralph Sampson*![]() |
Center/Forward | ![]() |
Houston Rockets | Virginia (Sr.) | 1 | 1983 |
1984–85 | Michael Jordan* | Guard | ![]() |
Chicago Bulls | North Carolina (Jr.) | 3 | 1984 |
1985–86 | Patrick Ewing* | Center | ![]() |
New York Knicks (2) | Georgetown (Sr.) | 1 | 1985 |
1986–87 | Chuck Person | Forward | ![]() |
Indiana Pacers | Auburn (Sr.) | 4 | 1986 |
1987–88 | Mark Jackson | Guard | ![]() |
New York Knicks (3) | St. John's (Sr.) | 18 | 1987 |
1988–89 | Mitch Richmond* | Guard | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors (5) | Kansas State (Sr.) | 5 | 1988 |
1989–90 | David Robinson*![]() |
Center | ![]() |
San Antonio Spurs | Navy (Sr.) | 1 | 1987[lower-alpha 6] |
1990–91 | Derrick Coleman | Forward | ![]() |
New Jersey Nets (2) | Syracuse (Sr.) | 1 | 1990 |
1991–92 | Larry Johnson | Forward | ![]() |
Charlotte Hornets | UNLV (Sr.) | 1 | 1991 |
1992–93 | Shaquille O'Neal* | Center | ![]() |
Orlando Magic | LSU (Jr.) | 1 | 1992 |
1993–94 | Chris Webber* | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors (6) | Michigan (So.) | 1 | 1993 |
1994–95[lower-alpha 3] | Grant Hill* | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Detroit Pistons (3) | Duke (Sr.) | 3 | 1994 |
Jason Kidd* | Guard | ![]() |
Dallas Mavericks | California (So.) | 2 | 1994 | |
1995–96 | Damon Stoudamire | Guard | ![]() |
Toronto Raptors | Arizona (Sr.) | 7 | 1995 |
1996–97 | Allen Iverson* | Guard | ![]() |
Philadelphia 76ers | Georgetown (So.) | 1 | 1996 |
1997–98 | Tim Duncan* | Forward/Center | ![]() |
San Antonio Spurs (2) | Wake Forest (Sr.) | 1 | 1997 |
1998–99 | Vince Carter | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Toronto Raptors (2) | North Carolina (Jr.) | 5 | 1998 |
1999–00[lower-alpha 3] | Elton Brand | Forward | ![]() |
Chicago Bulls (2) | Duke (So.) | 1 | 1999 |
Steve Francis | Guard | ![]() |
Houston Rockets (2) | Maryland (Jr.) | 2 | 1999 | |
2000–01 | Mike Miller | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Orlando Magic (2) | Florida (So.) | 5 | 2000 |
2001–02 | Pau Gasol | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Memphis Grizzlies | FC Barcelona (Spain) | 3 | 2001 |
2002–03 | Amar'e Stoudemire | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns (3) | Cypress Creek HS (Orlando, Florida) | 9 | 2002 |
2003–04 | LeBron James^ | Forward | ![]() |
Cleveland Cavaliers | St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (Akron, Ohio) | 1 | 2003 |
2004–05 | Emeka Okafor | Center/Forward | ![]() |
Charlotte Bobcats (2) | Connecticut (Jr.) | 2 | 2004 |
2005–06 | Chris Paul^![]() |
Guard | ![]() |
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | Wake Forest (So.) | 4 | 2005 |
2006–07 | Brandon Roy | Guard | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers (3) | Washington (Sr.) | 6 | 2006 |
2007–08 | Kevin Durant^ | Forward | ![]() |
Seattle SuperSonics | Texas (Fr.) | 2 | 2007 |
2008–09 | Derrick Rose^ | Guard | ![]() |
Chicago Bulls (3) | Memphis (Fr.) | 1 | 2008 |
2009–10 | Tyreke Evans | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Sacramento Kings (5) | Memphis (Fr.) | 4 | 2009 |
2010–11 | Blake Griffin^![]() |
Forward | ![]() |
Los Angeles Clippers (5) | Oklahoma (So.) | 1 | 2009[lower-alpha 8] |
2011–12 | Kyrie Irving^ | Guard | ![]() |
Cleveland Cavaliers (2) | Duke (Fr.) | 1 | 2011 |
2012–13 | Damian Lillard^![]() |
Guard | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers (4) | Weber St. (Jr.) | 6 | 2012 |
2013–14 | Michael Carter-Williams^ | Guard | ![]() |
Philadelphia 76ers (2) | Syracuse (So.) | 11 | 2013 |
2014–15 | Andrew Wiggins^ | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Minnesota Timberwolves | Kansas (Fr.) | 1 | 2014 |
2015–16 | Karl-Anthony Towns^![]() |
Center | ![]() |
Minnesota Timberwolves (2) | Kentucky (Fr.) | 1 | 2015 |
2016–17 | Malcolm Brogdon^ | Guard | ![]() |
Milwaukee Bucks (2) | Virginia (Sr.) | 36 | 2016 |
2017–18 | Ben Simmons^ | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Philadelphia 76ers (3) | LSU (Fr.) | 1 | 2016[lower-alpha 10] |
2018–19 | Luka Dončić^ | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Dallas Mavericks (2) | Real Madrid (Spain) | 3 | 2018 |
2019–20 | Ja Morant^ | Guard | ![]() |
Memphis Grizzlies (2) | Murray State (So.) | 2 | 2019 |
2020–21 | LaMelo Ball^ | Guard | ![]() |
Charlotte Hornets (3) | Illawarra Hawks (Australia) | 3 | 2020 |
2021–22 | Scottie Barnes^ | Forward | ![]() |
Toronto Raptors (3) | Florida State (Fr.) | 4 | 2021 |
Unofficial winners
Prior to the 1952–53 season, the Rookie of the Year was selected by newspaper writers;[18] however, the NBA does not officially recognize those players as winners. The league did publish the pre-1953 winners in their 1994–95 edition of the Official NBA Guide and the 1994 Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia, but those winners have not been listed in subsequent publications.[18][19][20]
Season | Player | Position | Nationality | Team | DP # | DY |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1947–48 | Paul Hoffman | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Baltimore Bullets | 70 | 1947 |
1948–49 | Howie Shannon | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Providence Steamrollers | 1 | 1949 |
1949–50 | Alex Groza | Center | ![]() |
Indianapolis Olympians | 2 | 1949 |
1950–51 | Paul Arizin* | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Philadelphia Warriors | T | 1950 |
1951–52[lower-alpha 3] | Bill Tosheff | Guard | ![]() |
Indianapolis Olympians | 32 | 1951 |
Mel Hutchins | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Milwaukee Hawks | 2 | 1951 |
Teams
Awards | Teams | Players | Years |
---|---|---|---|
6 | Golden State Warriors / San Francisco Warriors / Philadelphia Warriors | Woody Sauldsberry, Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Jamaal Wilkes, Mitch Richmond, Chris Webber | 1958 (as Philadelphia) 1960 (as Philadelphia) 1966 (as San Francisco) 1975, 1989, 1994 |
5 | Sacramento Kings / Kansas City Kings / Cincinnati Royals / Rochester Royals | Maurice Stokes, Oscar Robertson, Jerry Lucas, Phil Ford, Tyreke Evans | 1956 (as Rochester) 1961 (as Cincinnati) 1964 (as Cincinnati) 1979 (as Kansas City) 2010 |
Los Angeles Clippers / San Diego Clippers / Buffalo Braves | Bob McAdoo, Ernie DiGregorio, Adrian Dantley, Terry Cummings, Blake Griffin | 1973 (as Buffalo) 1974 (as Buffalo) 1977 (as Buffalo) 1983 (as San Diego) 2011 | |
4 | Portland Trail Blazers | Geoff Petrie, Sidney Wicks, Brandon Roy, Damian Lillard | 1971, 1972, 2007, 2013 |
Washington Wizards / Baltimore Bullets / Chicago Zephyrs / Chicago Packers | Walt Bellamy, Terry Dischinger, Earl Monroe, Wes Unseld | 1962 (as Chicago Packers) 1963 (as Chicago Zephyrs) 1968, 1969 (as Baltimore) | |
3 | Detroit Pistons / Fort Wayne Pistons | Don Meineke, Dave Bing, Grant Hill | 1953 (as Fort Wayne), 1967, 1995 |
Boston Celtics | Tom Heinsohn, Dave Cowens, Larry Bird | 1957, 1971, 1980 | |
New York Knicks | Willis Reed, Patrick Ewing, Mark Jackson | 1965, 1986, 1988 | |
Phoenix Suns | Alvan Adams, Walter Davis, Amar'e Stoudemire | 1976, 1978, 2003 | |
Chicago Bulls | Michael Jordan, Elton Brand, Derrick Rose | 1985, 2000, 2009 | |
Charlotte Hornets / Charlotte Bobcats | Larry Johnson, Emeka Okafor, LaMelo Ball | 1992, 2005 (as Charlotte Bobcats) 2021 | |
Philadelphia 76ers | Allen Iverson, Michael Carter-Williams, Ben Simmons | 1997, 2014, 2018 | |
Toronto Raptors | Damon Stoudamire, Vince Carter, Scottie Barnes | 1996, 1999, 2022 | |
2 | Milwaukee Bucks | Lew Alcindor, Malcolm Brogdon | 1970, 2017 |
Brooklyn Nets / New Jersey Nets | Buck Williams, Derrick Coleman | 1982 (as New Jersey), 1991 (as New Jersey) | |
Houston Rockets | Ralph Sampson, Steve Francis | 1984, 2000 | |
San Antonio Spurs | David Robinson, Tim Duncan | 1990, 1998 | |
Orlando Magic | Shaquille O'Neal, Mike Miller | 1993, 2001 | |
Dallas Mavericks | Jason Kidd, Luka Dončić | 1995, 2019 | |
Memphis Grizzlies | Pau Gasol, Ja Morant | 2002, 2020 | |
Cleveland Cavaliers | LeBron James, Kyrie Irving | 2004, 2012 | |
Minnesota Timberwolves | Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns | 2015, 2016 | |
1 | Atlanta Hawks / Milwaukee Hawks | Bob Pettit | 1955 (as Milwaukee) |
Los Angeles Lakers / Minneapolis Lakers | Elgin Baylor | 1959 (as Minneapolis) | |
Utah Jazz | Darrell Griffith | 1981 | |
Indiana Pacers | Chuck Person | 1987 | |
New Orleans Pelicans / Oklahoma City Hornets | Chris Paul | 2006 (as New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets) | |
Oklahoma City Thunder / Seattle SuperSonics | Kevin Durant | 2008 (as Seattle) | |
Baltimore Bullets | Ray Felix | 1954 | |
0 | Miami Heat | None | |
Denver Nuggets | |||
See also
- NBA G League Rookie of the Year Award
- NBA Rookie of the Month Award
- NBL (United States) Rookie of the Year Award
Notes
- Won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in same year.
- Though drafted in 1962 by the Cincinnati Royals, Jerry Lucas did not sign with the team until 1963 when he tried to sign with the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League instead. He ended up sitting out the year when the deal fell through. His rookie season with the Royals began in the 1963–64 season.[6]
- Denotes seasons in which joint winners were named
- Though drafted in 1978 by the Boston Celtics, Larry Bird, opted to stay in college for his senior year, did not play in the NBA until 1979. His rookie season with the Celtics began in the 1979–80 season.[7]
- Patrick Ewing was born in Jamaica, but had become a naturalized United States citizen while playing college basketball at Georgetown.[8] He represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics.[9]
- Though drafted in 1987 by the San Antonio Spurs, David Robinson did not play in the NBA until 1989 due to commitments to the United States Navy.[10] His rookie season with the Spurs began in the 1989–90 season.[11]
- Because Tim Duncan is a United States citizen by birth, as are all natives of the U.S. Virgin Islands,[12] he was able to play for the U.S. internationally. He represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics[13]
- Though drafted in 2009 by the Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin missed the entire 2009–10 season due to a knee injury. His rookie season with the Clippers was the 2010–11 season.[14]
- Karl-Anthony Towns was born and raised in the United States to an American father and a Dominican mother.[15] He has represented the Dominican Republic internationally since 2012.[16]
- Though drafted in 2016 by the Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons missed the entire 2016–17 season due to his broken right foot. His rookie season with the Sixers was the 2017–18 season.[17]
References
- General
- "Rookie of the Year Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved April 27, 2007.
- "Rookie of the Year Award Winners". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2008.
- Specific
- "Wolves' Towns named 2015–16 Kia Rookie of the Year". NBA.com. May 16, 2016. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
- "Trail Blazers' Brandon Roy Named 2006-07 T-Mobile NBA Rookie of the Year". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 3, 2007. Archived from the original on January 16, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
- "Brand, Francis named NBA co-rookies of the year". CBC Sports. November 10, 2000. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
- "It's unanimous: Karl-Anthony Towns gets every first-place vote for Rookie of the Year". StarTribune.com. Minneapolis Star Tribune. May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- "Bargnani becomes first European top NBA draft pick". People's Daily Online. June 29, 2006. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
- "Jerry Lucas Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
- "Larry Bird Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
- Ralph Wiley (January 7, 1985). "The Master Of The Key: After years of relying on others to unlock doors for him, Georgetown's center Patrick Ewing will soon go off on his own". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
- "All-Time USA Basketball Men's Roster: E". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on August 4, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
- Dave Anderson (May 18, 1987). "Sports of the Times; The Robinson Plot Thickens". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 23, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
- "David Robinson". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
- "Virgin Islands". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
- "All-Time USA Basketball Men's Roster: D". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
- "Griffin's rookie season lost to injury". ESPN.com. January 13, 2010. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
- Zgoda, Jerry (June 26, 2015). "Karl-Anthony Towns taken No.1 by Wolves; Tyus Jones acquired in trade with Cavaliers". Star Tribune. Archived from the original on September 29, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- "Calipari makes Dominican team roster cuts". WKYT. June 16, 2012. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
- "Philadelphia 76ers announce Ben Simmons done for season". NBA.com. February 24, 2017. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
- Friedman, David (March 2, 2009). "Bill Tosheff: NBA Co-Rookie of the Year and Tireless Advocate for the "Pre-1965ers". 20 Second Timeout. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- Goldstein, Allan (October 30, 1994). "NBA forgot it honored Hoffman". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on October 1, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
- Sachare, Alex (1994). The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia. New York: Villard Books. p. 371. ISBN 978-0-679-43293-7.