National Basketball Association Rookie of the Year Award (ROY) | |
---|---|
Sport | Basketball |
League | National Basketball Association |
History | |
First award | 1952-53 |
Most recent | Ja Morant Memphis Grizzlies |
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.
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 Ja Morant. 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. Nineteen of the forty-two 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 Don?i? 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 Don?i? are the only winners trained entirely outside the United States.
^ | Denotes player who is still active in the NBA |
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* | Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
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Denotes unanimous winners |
DP # | Draft pick number |
DY | Draft year |
T | Territorial pick |
Season | Player | Position | Nationality | Team | DP # | DY |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1952-53 | Don Meineke | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Fort Wayne Pistons | 12 | 1952 |
1953-54 | Ray Felix | Center | ![]() |
Baltimore Bullets | 1 | 1953 |
1954-55 | Bob Pettit* | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Milwaukee Hawks | 2 | 1954 |
1955-56 | Maurice Stokes* | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Rochester Royals | 2 | 1955 |
1956-57 | Tom Heinsohn* | Forward | ![]() |
Boston Celtics | T | 1956 |
1957-58 | Woody Sauldsberry | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Philadelphia Warriors | 60 | 1957 |
1958-59 | Elgin Baylor* | Forward | ![]() |
Minneapolis Lakers | 1 | 1958 |
1959-60 | Wilt Chamberlain*[a] | Center | ![]() |
Philadelphia Warriors | T | 1959 |
1960-61 | Oscar Robertson* | Guard | ![]() |
Cincinnati Royals | 1/T | 1960 |
1961-62 | Walt Bellamy* | Center | ![]() |
Chicago Packers | 1 | 1961 |
1962-63 | Terry Dischinger | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Chicago Zephyrs | 8 | 1962 |
1963-64 | Jerry Lucas*[b] | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Cincinnati Royals | T | 1962[b] |
1964-65 | Willis Reed* | Center/Forward | ![]() |
New York Knicks | 8 | 1964 |
1965-66 | Rick Barry* | Forward | ![]() |
San Francisco Warriors | 2 | 1965 |
1966-67 | Dave Bing* | Guard | ![]() |
Detroit Pistons | 2 | 1966 |
1967-68 | Earl Monroe* | Guard | ![]() |
Baltimore Bullets | 2 | 1967 |
1968-69 | Wes Unseld*[a] | Center/Forward | ![]() |
Baltimore Bullets | 2 | 1968 |
1969-70 | Lew Alcindor* | Center | ![]() |
Milwaukee Bucks | 1 | 1969 |
1970-71[c] | Dave Cowens* | Center/Forward | ![]() |
Boston Celtics | 4 | 1970 |
Geoff Petrie | Guard | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers | 8 | 1970 | |
1971-72 | Sidney Wicks | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers | 2 | 1971 |
1972-73 | Bob McAdoo* | Center/Forward | ![]() |
Buffalo Braves | 2 | 1972 |
1973-74 | Ernie DiGregorio | Guard | ![]() |
Buffalo Braves | 3 | 1973 |
1974-75 | Jamaal Wilkes* | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors | 11 | 1974 |
1975-76 | Alvan Adams | Center/Forward | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns | 4 | 1975 |
1976-77 | Adrian Dantley* | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Buffalo Braves | 6 | 1976 |
1977-78 | Walter Davis | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns | 5 | 1977 |
1978-79 | Phil Ford | Guard | ![]() |
Kansas City Kings | 2 | 1978 |
1979-80 | Larry Bird*[d] | Forward | ![]() |
Boston Celtics | 6 | 1978[d] |
1980-81 | Darrell Griffith | Guard | ![]() |
Utah Jazz | 2 | 1980 |
1981-82 | Buck Williams | Forward/Center | ![]() |
New Jersey Nets | 3 | 1981 |
1982-83 | Terry Cummings | Forward | ![]() |
San Diego Clippers | 2 | 1982 |
1983-84 | Ralph Sampson*![]() |
Center/Forward | ![]() |
Houston Rockets | 1 | 1983 |
1984-85 | Michael Jordan* | Guard | ![]() |
Chicago Bulls | 3 | 1984 |
1985-86 | Patrick Ewing* | Center | ![]() |
New York Knicks | 1 | 1985 |
1986-87 | Chuck Person | Forward | ![]() |
Indiana Pacers | 4 | 1986 |
1987-88 | Mark Jackson | Guard | ![]() |
New York Knicks | 18 | 1987 |
1988-89 | Mitch Richmond* | Guard | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors | 5 | 1988 |
1989-90 | David Robinson*![]() |
Center | ![]() |
San Antonio Spurs | 1 | 1987[f] |
1990-91 | Derrick Coleman | Forward | ![]() |
New Jersey Nets | 1 | 1990 |
1991-92 | Larry Johnson | Forward | ![]() |
Charlotte Hornets | 1 | 1991 |
1992-93 | Shaquille O'Neal* | Center | ![]() |
Orlando Magic | 1 | 1992 |
1993-94 | Chris Webber | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors | 1 | 1993 |
1994-95[c] | Grant Hill* | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Detroit Pistons | 3 | 1994 |
Jason Kidd* | Guard | ![]() |
Dallas Mavericks | 2 | 1994 | |
1995-96 | Damon Stoudamire | Guard | ![]() |
Toronto Raptors | 7 | 1995 |
1996-97 | Allen Iverson* | Guard | ![]() |
Philadelphia 76ers | 1 | 1996 |
1997-98 | Tim Duncan* | Forward/Center | ![]() |
San Antonio Spurs | 1 | 1997 |
1998-99 | Vince Carter | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Toronto Raptors | 5 | 1998 |
1999-00[c] | Elton Brand | Forward | ![]() |
Chicago Bulls | 1 | 1999 |
Steve Francis | Guard | ![]() |
Houston Rockets | 2 | 1999 | |
2000-01 | Mike Miller | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Orlando Magic | 5 | 2000 |
2001-02 | Pau Gasol | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Memphis Grizzlies | 3 | 2001 |
2002-03 | Amar'e Stoudemire | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns | 9 | 2002 |
2003-04 | LeBron James^ | Forward | ![]() |
Cleveland Cavaliers | 1 | 2003 |
2004-05 | Emeka Okafor | Center/Forward | ![]() |
Charlotte Bobcats | 2 | 2004 |
2005-06 | Chris Paul^![]() |
Guard | ![]() |
New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | 4 | 2005 |
2006-07 | Brandon Roy | Guard | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers | 6 | 2006 |
2007-08 | Kevin Durant^ | Forward | ![]() |
Seattle SuperSonics | 2 | 2007 |
2008-09 | Derrick Rose^ | Guard | ![]() |
Chicago Bulls | 1 | 2008 |
2009-10 | Tyreke Evans | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Sacramento Kings | 4 | 2009 |
2010-11 | Blake Griffin^![]() |
Forward | ![]() |
Los Angeles Clippers | 1 | 2009[h] |
2011-12 | Kyrie Irving^ | Guard | ![]() |
Cleveland Cavaliers | 1 | 2011 |
2012-13 | Damian Lillard^![]() |
Guard | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers | 6 | 2012 |
2013-14 | Michael Carter-Williams^ | Guard | ![]() |
Philadelphia 76ers | 11 | 2013 |
2014-15 | Andrew Wiggins^ | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Minnesota Timberwolves | 1 | 2014 |
2015-16 | Karl-Anthony Towns^![]() |
Center | ![]() |
Minnesota Timberwolves | 1 | 2015 |
2016-17 | Malcolm Brogdon^ | Guard | ![]() |
Milwaukee Bucks | 36 | 2016 |
2017-18 | Ben Simmons^ | Forward/Guard | ![]() |
Philadelphia 76ers | 1 | 2016[j] |
2018-19 | Luka Don?i?^ | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Dallas Mavericks | 3 | 2018 |
2019-20 | Ja Morant^ | Guard | ![]() |
Memphis Grizzlies | 2 | 2019 |
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[c] | Bill Tosheff | Guard | ![]() |
Indianapolis Olympians | 32 | 1951 |
Mel Hutchins | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Milwaukee Hawks | 2 | 1951 |