National Basketball Association awards and honors
Team awards
Individual awards
Honors
National Basketball Association Rookie of the Year Award (ROY)
SportBasketball
LeagueNational Basketball Association
Awarded forBest first year player in regular season of the National Basketball Association
History
First award1952–53
Most recentPaolo Banchero
(Orlando Magic)

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. Since the 2022–23 NBA season, winners receive the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, named after the former Rookie of the Year winner.

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 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and its players' union, which takes effect with the 2023–24 season, introduces a requirement that a player appear in at least 65 regular-season games to be eligible for most major regular-season awards. However, this rule does not apply to the Rookie of the Year award and the All-Rookie Team.[3][4]

The most recent Rookie of the Year winner is Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic. Twenty-two 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.[5] 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.[6]

Patrick Ewing of Jamaica,[7] 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 LaMelo 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

Wilt Chamberlain won the award in the 1959–60 NBA season.
head shot of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (formerly known as Lew Alcindor) won the award in the 1969–70 NBA season.
head shot of Larry Bird
Larry Bird won the award in the 1979–80 NBA season.
Michael Jordan holding a basketball
Michael Jordan won the award in the 1984–85 NBA season.
Allen Iverson at a post-game interview
Allen Iverson won the award in the 1996–97 NBA season.
Pau Gasol boxing-out for a rebound.
Pau Gasol won the award in the 2001–02 NBA season.
LeBron James preparing to shoot a free throw
LeBron James won the award in the 2003–04 NBA season.
Kevin Durant at ARCO Arena
Kevin Durant won the award in the 2007–08 NBA season.
Derrick Rose 2
Derrick Rose won the award in the 2008–09 NBA season.
Luka Dončić
Luka Dončić won the award in the 2018–19 NBA season.
Key
^ Denotes player who is still active in the NBA
* Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as player
† Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[a]
§ 1st time eligible for Hall of Fame in 2024[8]
Player
(in bold text) 		Denotes unanimous winners
DP # Draft pick number
DY Draft year
T Territorial pick
Rookie of the Year
Season Player Position Nationality Team School/Prior Experience DP # DY
1952–53 Don Meineke Forward/center  United States Fort Wayne Pistons Dayton 12 1952
1953–54 Ray Felix Center  United States Baltimore Bullets Long Island 1 1953
1954–55 Bob Pettit* Forward/center  United States Milwaukee Hawks LSU 2 1954
1955–56 Maurice Stokes* Forward/center  United States Rochester Royals Saint Francis (PA) 2 1955
1956–57 Tom Heinsohn* Forward  United States Boston Celtics Holy Cross T 1956
1957–58 Woody Sauldsberry Forward/center  United States Philadelphia Warriors Texas Southern 60 1957
1958–59 Elgin Baylor* Forward  United States Minneapolis Lakers Seattle 1 1958
1959–60 Wilt Chamberlain*[b] Center  United States Philadelphia Warriors (2) Kansas, Harlem Globetrotters T 1959
1960–61 Oscar Robertson* Guard  United States Cincinnati Royals (2) Cincinnati 1/T 1960
1961–62 Walt Bellamy* Center  United States Chicago Packers (2) Indiana 1 1961
1962–63 Terry Dischinger Forward/guard  United States Chicago Zephyrs (3) Purdue 8 1962
1963–64 Jerry Lucas*[c] Forward/center  United States Cincinnati Royals (3) Ohio State T 1962[c]
1964–65 Willis Reed* Center/forward  United States New York Knicks Grambling 8 1964
1965–66 Rick Barry* Forward  United States San Francisco Warriors (3) Miami (FL) 2 1965
1966–67 Dave Bing* Guard  United States Detroit Pistons (2) Syracuse 2 1966
1967–68 Earl Monroe* Guard  United States Baltimore Bullets (4) Winston-Salem State 2 1967
1968–69 Wes Unseld*[b] Center/forward  United States Baltimore Bullets (5) Louisville 2 1968
1969–70 Lew Alcindor* Center  United States Milwaukee Bucks UCLA 1 1969
1970–71[d] Dave Cowens* Center/forward  United States Boston Celtics (2) Florida State 4 1970
Geoff Petrie Guard  United States Portland Trail Blazers Princeton 8 1970
1971–72 Sidney Wicks Forward/center  United States Portland Trail Blazers (2) UCLA 2 1971
1972–73 Bob McAdoo* Center/forward  United States Buffalo Braves North Carolina (Jr.) 2 1972
1973–74 Ernie DiGregorio Guard  United States Buffalo Braves (2) Providence (Sr.) 3 1973
1974–75 Jamaal Wilkes* Forward/guard  United States Golden State Warriors (4) UCLA (Sr.) 11 1974
1975–76 Alvan Adams Center/forward  United States Phoenix Suns Oklahoma (Jr.) 4 1975
1976–77 Adrian Dantley* Forward/guard  United States Buffalo Braves (3) Notre Dame (Jr.) 6 1976
1977–78 Walter Davis* Guard/forward  United States Phoenix Suns (2) North Carolina (Sr.) 5 1977
1978–79 Phil Ford Guard  United States Kansas City Kings (4) North Carolina (Sr.) 2 1978
1979–80 Larry Bird*[e] Forward  United States Boston Celtics (3) Indiana State (Jr.) 6 1978[e]
1980–81 Darrell Griffith Guard  United States Utah Jazz Louisville (Sr.) 2 1980
1981–82 Buck Williams Forward/center  United States New Jersey Nets Maryland (Jr.) 3 1981
1982–83 Terry Cummings Forward  United States San Diego Clippers (4) DePaul (Jr.) 2 1982
1983–84 Ralph Sampson* Center/forward  United States Houston Rockets Virginia (Sr.) 1 1983
1984–85 Michael Jordan* Guard  United States Chicago Bulls North Carolina (Jr.) 3 1984
1985–86 Patrick Ewing* Center  United States[f] New York Knicks (2) Georgetown (Sr.) 1 1985
1986–87 Chuck Person Forward  United States Indiana Pacers Auburn (Sr.) 4 1986
1987–88 Mark Jackson Guard  United States New York Knicks (3) St. John's (Sr.) 18 1987
1988–89 Mitch Richmond* Guard  United States Golden State Warriors (5) Kansas State (Sr.) 5 1988
1989–90 David Robinson*[g] Center  United States San Antonio Spurs Navy (Sr.) 1 1987[g]
1990–91 Derrick Coleman Forward  United States New Jersey Nets (2) Syracuse (Sr.) 1 1990
1991–92 Larry Johnson Forward  United States Charlotte Hornets UNLV (Sr.) 1 1991
1992–93 Shaquille O'Neal* Center  United States Orlando Magic LSU (Jr.) 1 1992
1993–94 Chris Webber* Forward/center  United States Golden State Warriors (6) Michigan (So.) 1 1993
1994–95[d] Grant Hill* Forward/guard  United States Detroit Pistons (3) Duke (Sr.) 3 1994
Jason Kidd* Guard  United States Dallas Mavericks California (So.) 2 1994
1995–96 Damon Stoudamire Guard  United States Toronto Raptors Arizona (Sr.) 7 1995
1996–97 Allen Iverson* Guard  United States Philadelphia 76ers Georgetown (So.) 1 1996
1997–98 Tim Duncan* Forward/center  United States[h] San Antonio Spurs (2) Wake Forest (Sr.) 1 1997
1998–99 Vince Carter* Guard/forward  United States Toronto Raptors (2) North Carolina (Jr.) 5 1998
1999–00[d] Elton Brand Forward  United States Chicago Bulls (2) Duke (So.) 1 1999
Steve Francis Guard  United States Houston Rockets (2) Maryland (Jr.) 2 1999
2000–01 Mike Miller Forward/guard  United States Orlando Magic (2) Florida (So.) 5 2000
2001–02 Pau Gasol* Forward/center  Spain Memphis Grizzlies FC Barcelona (Spain) 3 2001
2002–03 Amar'e Stoudemire Forward/center  United States Phoenix Suns (3) Cypress Creek HS (Orlando, Florida) 9 2002
2003–04 LeBron James^ Forward  United States Cleveland Cavaliers St. Vincent–St. Mary HS (Akron, Ohio) 1 2003
2004–05 Emeka Okafor Center/forward  United States Charlotte Bobcats (2) Connecticut (Jr.) 2 2004
2005–06 Chris Paul^ Guard  United States New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets Wake Forest (So.) 4 2005
2006–07 Brandon Roy Guard  United States Portland Trail Blazers (3) Washington (Sr.) 6 2006
2007–08 Kevin Durant^ Forward  United States Seattle SuperSonics Texas (Fr.) 2 2007
2008–09 Derrick Rose^ Guard  United States Chicago Bulls (3) Memphis (Fr.) 1 2008
2009–10 Tyreke Evans Guard/forward  United States Sacramento Kings (5) Memphis (Fr.) 4 2009
2010–11 Blake Griffin†[i] Forward  United States Los Angeles Clippers (5) Oklahoma (So.) 1 2009[i]
2011–12 Kyrie Irving^ Guard  United States Cleveland Cavaliers (2) Duke (Fr.) 1 2011
2012–13 Damian Lillard^ Guard  United States Portland Trail Blazers (4) Weber St. (Jr.) 6 2012
2013–14 Michael Carter-Williams Guard  United States Philadelphia 76ers (2) Syracuse (So.) 11 2013
2014–15 Andrew Wiggins^ Forward/guard  Canada Minnesota Timberwolves Kansas (Fr.) 1 2014
2015–16 Karl-Anthony Towns^ Center  Dominican Republic[j] Minnesota Timberwolves (2) Kentucky (Fr.) 1 2015
2016–17 Malcolm Brogdon^ Guard  United States Milwaukee Bucks (2) Virginia (Sr.) 36 2016
2017–18 Ben Simmons^ Forward/guard  Australia Philadelphia 76ers (3) LSU (Fr.) 1 2016[k]
2018–19 Luka Dončić^ Guard/forward  Slovenia Dallas Mavericks (2) Real Madrid (Spain) 3 2018
2019–20 Ja Morant^ Guard  United States Memphis Grizzlies (2) Murray State (So.) 2 2019
2020–21 LaMelo Ball^ Guard  United States Charlotte Hornets (3) Illawarra Hawks (Australia) 3 2020
2021–22 Scottie Barnes^ Forward  United States Toronto Raptors (3) Florida State (Fr.) 4 2021
2022–23 Paolo Banchero^ Forward  United States Orlando Magic (3) Duke (Fr.) 1 2022

Unofficial winners

Prior to the 1952–53 season, the Rookie of the Year was selected by newspaper writers;[21] 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.[21][22][23]

Season Player Position Nationality Team DP # DY
1947–48 Paul Hoffman Guard/forward  United States Baltimore Bullets 70 1947
1948–49 Howie Shannon Guard/forward  United States Providence Steamrollers 1 1949
1949–50 Alex Groza Center  United States Indianapolis Olympians 2 1949
1950–51 Paul Arizin* Forward/guard  United States Philadelphia Warriors T 1950
1951–52[d] Bill Tosheff Guard  United States Indianapolis Olympians 32 1951
Mel Hutchins Forward/center  United States 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
Orlando Magic Shaquille O'Neal, Mike Miller, Paolo Banchero 1993, 2001, 2023
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
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

Notes

  1. ^ A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until he has been fully retired for three calendar years.
  2. ^ a b Won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in same year.
  3. ^ a b 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.[9]
  4. ^ a b c d Denotes seasons in which joint winners were named
  5. ^ a b Though drafted in 1978 by the Boston Celtics, Larry Bird opted to stay in college for his senior year and did not play in the NBA until 1979. His rookie season with the Celtics began in the 1979–80 season.[10]
  6. ^ Patrick Ewing was born in Jamaica, but had become a naturalized United States citizen while playing college basketball at Georgetown.[11] He represented the United States at the 1984 Summer Olympics.[12]
  7. ^ a b 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.[13] His rookie season with the Spurs began in the 1989–90 season.[14]
  8. ^ Because Tim Duncan is a United States citizen by birth, as are all natives of the U.S. Virgin Islands,[15] he was able to play for the U.S. internationally. He represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics[16]
  9. ^ a b 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.[17]
  10. ^ Karl-Anthony Towns was born and raised in the United States to an American father and a Dominican mother.[18] He has represented the Dominican Republic internationally since 2012.[19]
  11. ^ Though drafted in 2016 by the Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons missed the entire 2016–17 season due to a broken right foot. His rookie season with the Sixers was the 2017–18 season.[20]

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
  1. ^ "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.
  2. ^ "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.
  3. ^ Marks, Bobby (September 13, 2023). "How the NBA's new rules on resting stars will work". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  4. ^ "Article XXIX, Section 6: Games Played Requirement for Certain League Honors" (PDF). NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. National Basketball Players Association. July 2023. pp. 432–38. Retrieved September 13, 2023. The games played requirement specifically applies to the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Improved Player awards, as well as the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams. Rookie awards are not mentioned.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "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.
  8. ^ "2024 Hall of Fame Candidates". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  9. ^ "Jerry Lucas Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
  10. ^ "Larry Bird Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on January 2, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ "All-Time USA Basketball Men's Roster: E". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on August 4, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ "David Robinson". basketball-reference.com. Archived from the original on April 8, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
  15. ^ "Virgin Islands". CIA World Factbook. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
  16. ^ "All-Time USA Basketball Men's Roster: D". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
  17. ^ "Griffin's rookie season lost to injury". ESPN.com. January 13, 2010. Archived from the original on January 20, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ "Calipari makes Dominican team roster cuts". WKYT. June 16, 2012. Archived from the original on June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  20. ^ "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.
  21. ^ a b 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.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ Sachare, Alex (1994). The Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia. New York: Villard Books. p. 371. ISBN 978-0-679-43293-7.

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