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NBA's Rookie of the Year winners: A list of the best ever basketball players who have won the award
Claudia Kogi
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:24 PM
In any given NBA season, various awards such as the Most Valuable Player and NBA Championship are often paid attention to most. However, one of the most important, yet somewhat unheralded accolades is the Rookie of the Year, which is often given to the best performer among those in their first season in the league.
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Some legendary gurus like LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Shaquille O'Neal have won the award in the past. However, though, some names such as Emeka Okafor, Derrick Coleman, and Mike Miller have not explored their careers at peak.
A list of NBA Rookie of the Year award winners and nominees
The National Basketball Association is packed with legendary players, day in, and day out. In fact, most of the most famous and talented athletes as of 2023 sure are from the league. According to various online sources, SportsBrief has done an in-depth analysis and compiled a list of the past NBA Rookie of the Year winners to date.
10. Malcolm Brogdon - 2017
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Ever heard of players who just came out of nowhere and outshone the existing ones. This was somewhat Malcolm Brogdon's case. Although he was a late choice in the draft, going in the second round with the 36th overall pick, he still managed to win the award in 2017.
Full name | Malcolm Moses Adams Brogdon |
Date of birth | 11 December 1992 |
Place of birth | Atlanta, Georgia, the United States of America |
Age | 30 years of age as of February 2023 |
Nationality | American |
Current team(s) | Boston Celtics |
Year of award | 2017 with the Milwaukee Bucks |
9. Andrew Wiggins - 2015
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At the ninth position, sits Andrew Wiggins, who had immense influence in the league as soon as he got signed. The signing came out as a surprise to many, as the Cleveland Cavaliers had dealt him for Kevin Love soon after LeBron James had returned.
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Bargain or no bargain, Andrew Wiggins still managed to prove his worth and won a solid rookie campaign in 2015.
Full name | Andrew Christian Wiggins |
Date of birth | 23 February 1995 |
Place of birth | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Age | 28 years of age as of February 2023 |
Nationality | Canadian |
Current team(s) | Golden State Warriors |
Year of award | 2015 with Minnesota Timberwolves |
8. Michael Carter-Williams - 2014
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If you are ever asked about the NBA players who peaked in the rookie season, you would not miss out on names like Michael Carter-Williams. Being the 11th overall pick during the 2013 NBA Draft, Michael Carter did not quite make it to the top choice to burst out with a strong rookie season.
But even though his next season was one with several injuries, he still managed to outdo the other players who had been drafted and won the award in 2014.
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Full name | Michael Carter-Williams |
Date of birth | 10 October 1991 |
Place of birth | Hamilton, Massachusetts, the United States of America |
Age | 31 years of age as of February 2023 |
Nationality | Canadian |
Current team(s) | A free agent |
Year of award | 2014 with Philadelphia 76ers |
7. Kyrie Irving - 2012
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If this was a listicle of some of the best basketball players of all time, Kyrie Irving would definitely rank higher. Besides, he has gone far in his career to become a multiple-time All-Star and even won an NBA Championship in 2016.
However, his 2011/2012 season was not one of his luckiest seasons as he suffered multiple injuries, sending him to hospital beds the better part of the season. Fortunately, during the 2012 NBA Draft, he won the rookie award.
Full name | Kyrie Andrew Irving |
Date of birth | 23 March 1992 |
Place of birth | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
Age | 30 years of age as of February 2023 |
Nationality | Australian |
Current team(s) | Brooklyn Nets |
Year of award | 2012 with the Cleveland Cavaliers |
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6. Karl-Anthony Towns - 2016
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Another yet legend who has not actually been done enough justice in terms of ranking is the Dominican American-based guru, Karl-Anthony Towns. Not only did he win the coveted award in 2016, but also got selected in the 2015 overall selection.
Since winning the coveted award in 2016, he has done nothing but being committed and consistent in ensuring that his influence in the league is felt to the core.
Full name | Karl-Anthony Towns Jr |
Date of birth | 15 November 1995 |
Place of birth | Edison, New Jersey, the United States of America |
Age | 30 years of age as of February 2023 |
Nationality | Dominican-American |
Current team(s) | Minnesota Timberwolves |
Year of award | 2016 with the Minnesota Timberwolves |
5. Damian Lillard - 2013
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Just as some could term it as an instant connection with Damian Lillard, it was somewhat the case with him, Portland fans discovered his standards even before dribbling in his first match. It was only a matter of time before he stole the coveted award from one decorated basketball player, Anthony Davis.
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Full name | Damian Lamonte Ollie Lillard Sr |
Date of birth | 15 July 1990 |
Place of birth | Oakland, California, the United States of America |
Age | 32 years of age as of February 2023 |
Nationality | American |
Current team(s) | Portland Trail Blazers |
Year of award | 2013 with the Portland Trail Blazers |
4. Ben Simmons - 2018
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Ben Simmons' Rookie of the Year award did not actually come as a surprise, considering he had a highly decorated career in the league. Even though most of the fans by then believed that Donovan Mitchel of Utah should have taken it, Ben still managed to prove his worth and won the coveted award.
However, after his splendid career, he was later faced with severe injuries which sent him on and off the pitch.
Full name | Benjamin David Simmons |
Date of birth | 20 July 1996 |
Place of birth | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
Age | 26 years of age as of February 2023 |
Nationality | Australian |
Current team(s) | Brooklyn Nets |
Year of award | 2018 with Philadelphia 76ers |
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3. Tyreke Evans - 2010
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On the third position, sits Tyreke Evans, who surprisingly managed to make it at the top three of the list. Like Carter-Williams, Tyreke's fame was one that skyrocketed as soon as he won the coveted award in 2010.
Moreover, he became the fourth player after Michael Jordan, Oscar Robertson, and LeBron James to average at least 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a game.
Full name | Tyreke Jamir Evans |
Date of birth | 19 September 1989 |
Place of birth | Chester, Pennsylvania, the United States of America |
Age | 33 years of age as of February 2023 |
Nationality | American |
Current team(s) | Indios de Mayaguez |
Year of award | 2010 with Sacramento Kings |
2. Blake Griffin - 2011
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Among some of the past NBA Rookie of the Year winners is Blake Griffin. He is one sought-after personality in the basketball league and most especially in his current team, Boston Celtics. He has played for other renowned teams such as Los Angeles Clippers, where he won the coveted award, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and currently the Boston Celtics.
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Full name | Blake Austin Griffin |
Date of birth | 16 March 1989 |
Place of birth | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the United States of America |
Age | 33 years of age as of February 2023 |
Nationality | American |
Current team(s) | Boston Celtics |
Year of award | 2011 with the Los Angeles Clippers |
1. Luka Doncic - 2019
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Luka Doncic is the most recent nominee and winner of the coveted Rookie of the Year award. Often dubbed Cool Hand Luke, he shook the entire league when he claimed the award, superseding all the player who had eyed it.
The Dallas Mavericks star took the league by storm and became the rarest player to ever come from overseas at a young age and dominate such a league. To date, he is still the talk of the league.
Full name | Luka Doncic |
Date of birth | 28 February 1999 |
Place of birth | Ljubljana, Slovenia |
Age | 24 years of age as of February 2023 |
Nationality | Slovenian |
Current team(s) | Dallas Mavericks |
Year of award | 2019 with the Dallas Mavericks |
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The beauty about any given game is winning the coveted award at the end of it. The National Basketball Association has seen some of the best players win awards such as the Rookie of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and various championships throughout the league.
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