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NBA Rookie of the Year Rankings

14 rankings

A complete chronological record and ranking of every NBA Rookie of the Year (Eddie Gottlieb Trophy) winner, tracking the league's most impactful debut campaigns from Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Victor Wembanyama.

World Ranking

▲ Top 5

#1
Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls (1985)
Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls (1985)
Took the league by storm with 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 2.4 steals per game, making All-NBA Second Team as a rookie.
+61
#2
Wilt Chamberlain - Philadelphia Warriors (1960)
Wilt Chamberlain - Philadelphia Warriors (1960)
Shattered every league standard by capturing both Rookie of the Year and MVP, averaging an unprecedented 37.6 points and 27.0 rebounds.
+41
#3
LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers (2004)
LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers (2004)
Lived up to unprecedented expectations by joining Robertson and Jordan as the only rookies to post 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists.
+40
#4
Larry Bird - Boston Celtics (1980)
Larry Bird - Boston Celtics (1980)
Engineered a massive 32-win turnaround for Boston, averaging 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists to edge out Magic Johnson.
+20
#5
Lew Alcindor - Milwaukee Bucks (1970)
Lew Alcindor - Milwaukee Bucks (1970)
Dominated immediately with his unstoppable skyhook, averaging 28.8 points and 14.5 rebounds to guide Milwaukee to a 29-win turnaround.
+16

▼ Bottom 5

#1
Michael Carter-Williams - Philadelphia 76ers (2014)
Michael Carter-Williams - Philadelphia 76ers (2014)
Tall playmaker filled the stat sheet on a rebuilding squad with 16.7 points, 6.3 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.9 steals.
-62
#2
Tyreke Evans - Sacramento Kings (2010)
Tyreke Evans - Sacramento Kings (2010)
Joined Robertson, Jordan, and LeBron in the exclusive rookie 20-5-5 club, finishing with 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.8 assists.
-39
#3
Ben Simmons - Philadelphia 76ers (2018)
Ben Simmons - Philadelphia 76ers (2018)
Oversized point guard racked up 12 triple-doubles while averaging 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game.
-38
#4
Malcolm Brogdon - Milwaukee Bucks (2017)
Malcolm Brogdon - Milwaukee Bucks (2017)
The former second-round pick provided calm leadership, 10.2 points, and 4.2 assists on an efficient playoff-bound Bucks team.
-25
#5
Mike Miller - Orlando Magic (2001)
The sharpshooting Florida product provided essential perimeter spacing alongside Tracy McGrady, averaging 11.9 points and 4.0 rebounds.
-20
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14 rankings
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The Book of Basketball: The NBA According to The Sports Guy by Bill Simmons
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Basketball-Reference
NBA Rookie of the Year Winners and Historical Voting
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NBA.com
History of the NBA Rookie of the Year Award
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All Items (73)

Michael Jordan - Chicago Bulls (1985)+61
Wilt Chamberlain - Philadelphia Warriors (1960)+41
LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers (2004)+40
Larry Bird - Boston Celtics (1980)+20
Lew Alcindor - Milwaukee Bucks (1970)+16
Oscar Robertson - Cincinnati Royals (1961)+8
Victor Wembanyama - San Antonio Spurs (2024)+8
Luka Dončić - Dallas Mavericks (2019)+6
Patrick Ewing - New York Knicks (1986)+5
Allen Iverson - Philadelphia 76ers (1997)+3
Tim Duncan - San Antonio Spurs (1998)+1
Kevin Durant - Seattle SuperSonics (2008)+1
Ray Felix - Baltimore Bullets (1954)—
Bob Pettit - Milwaukee Hawks (1955)—
Maurice Stokes - Rochester Royals (1956)—
Tom Heinsohn - Boston Celtics (1957)—
Elgin Baylor - Minneapolis Lakers (1959)—
Walt Bellamy - Chicago Packers (1962)—
Jerry Lucas - Cincinnati Royals (1964)—
Willis Reed - New York Knicks (1965)—
Rick Barry - San Francisco Warriors (1966)—
Dave Bing - Detroit Pistons (1967)—
Earl Monroe - Baltimore Bullets (1968)—
Wes Unseld - Baltimore Bullets (1969)—
Geoff Petrie - Portland Trail Blazers & Dave Cowens - Boston Celtics (1971)—
Sidney Wicks - Portland Trail Blazers (1972)—
Bob McAdoo - Buffalo Braves (1973)—
Ernie DiGregorio - Buffalo Braves (1974)—
Jamaal Wilkes - Golden State Warriors (1975)—
Alvan Adams - Phoenix Suns (1976)—
Adrian Dantley - Buffalo Braves (1977)—
Walter Davis - Phoenix Suns (1978)—
Phil Ford - Kansas City Kings (1979)—
Darrell Griffith - Utah Jazz (1981)—
Buck Williams - New Jersey Nets (1982)—
Terry Cummings - San Diego Clippers (1983)—
Ralph Sampson - Houston Rockets (1984)—
Chuck Person - Indiana Pacers (1987)—
Mark Jackson - New York Knicks (1988)—
Mitch Richmond - Golden State Warriors (1989)—
David Robinson - San Antonio Spurs (1990)—
Derrick Coleman - New Jersey Nets (1991)—
Larry Johnson - Charlotte Hornets (1992)—
Shaquille O'Neal - Orlando Magic (1993)—
Chris Webber - Golden State Warriors (1994)—
Damon Stoudamire - Toronto Raptors (1996)—
Vince Carter - Toronto Raptors (1999)—
Elton Brand - Chicago Bulls & Steve Francis - Houston Rockets (2000)—
Amar'e Stoudemire - Phoenix Suns (2003)—
Emeka Okafor - Charlotte Bobcats (2005)—
Chris Paul - New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (2006)—
Brandon Roy - Portland Trail Blazers (2007)—
Derrick Rose - Chicago Bulls (2009)—
Blake Griffin - Los Angeles Clippers (2011)—
Kyrie Irving - Cleveland Cavaliers (2012)—
Damian Lillard - Portland Trail Blazers (2013)—
Karl-Anthony Towns - Minnesota Timberwolves (2016)—
LaMelo Ball - Charlotte Hornets (2021)—
Scottie Barnes - Toronto Raptors (2022)—
Paolo Banchero - Orlando Magic (2023)—
Stephon Castle - San Antonio Spurs (2025)—
Terry Dischinger - Chicago Zephyrs (1963)-1
Ja Morant - Memphis Grizzlies (2020)-1
Pau Gasol - Memphis Grizzlies (2002)-4
Andrew Wiggins - Minnesota Timberwolves (2015)-4
Woody Sauldsberry - Philadelphia Warriors (1958)-5
Grant Hill - Detroit Pistons & Jason Kidd - Dallas Mavericks (1995)-5
Don Meineke - Fort Wayne Pistons (1953)-6
Mike Miller - Orlando Magic (2001)-20
Malcolm Brogdon - Milwaukee Bucks (2017)-25
Ben Simmons - Philadelphia 76ers (2018)-38
Tyreke Evans - Sacramento Kings (2010)-39
Michael Carter-Williams - Philadelphia 76ers (2014)-62
Image credits (65)

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