NBA Rookie of the Year Award Winners

A year-by-year history of NBA Rookie of the Year winners, including each player's team, position and scoring average.

MVP ROTY DPOTY COTY MIP 6th Man Executive All-Defensive Sportsman Citizenship

NBA Rookie of the Year History

The NBA Rookie of the Year Award recognizes the league's top first-year player for the regular season. The NBA officially recognizes the award beginning with Don Meineke of the Fort Wayne Pistons in 1952-53.

Earlier rookie awards dating from 1947-48 through 1951-52 were selected by newspaper writers. Those early selections are included separately below for historical reference.

The table also includes seasons in which the award was shared by two players. Geoff Petrie and Dave Cowens were co-winners in 1970-71, while Jason Kidd and Grant Hill shared the award in 1994-95. Elton Brand and Steve Francis were co-winners in 1999-2000.

NBA Rookie of the Year Winners

Year	Player	Team	Pos	AVG
2026	Cooper Flagg	Dallas	F	21.0
2025	Stephon Castle	San Antonio	G	14.7
2024	Victor Wembanyama	San Antonio	C	21.4
2023	Paolo Banchero	Orlando	F	20.0
2022	Scottie Barnes	Toronto	G	15.3
2021	LaMelo Ball	Charlotte	G	15.7
2020	Ja Morant	Memphis	G	17.8
2019	Luka Doncic	Dallas	G	21.2
2018	Ben Simmons	Philadelphia	G	15.8
2017	Malcolm Brogdon	Milwaukee	G	10.2
2016	Karl-Anthony Towns	Minnesota	C	18.3
2015	Andrew Wiggins	Minnesota	G	16.9
2014	Michael Carter-Williams	Philadelphia	G	16.7
2013	Damian Lillard	Portland	G	19.0
2012	Kyrie Irving	Cleveland	G	18.5
2011	Blake Griffin	LA Clippers	F	22.5
2010	Tyreke Evans	Sacramento	G	20.1
2009	Derrick Rose	Chicago	G	16.8
2008	Kevin Durant	Seattle	F	20.3
2007	Brandon Roy	Portland	G	16.8
2006	Chris Paul	New Orleans/Oklahoma City	G	16.1
2005	Emeka Okafor	Charlotte	F	15.9
2004	LeBron James	Cleveland	G	20.1
2003	Amar'e Stoudemire	Phoenix	F	14.2
2002	Pau Gasol	Memphis	F	17.6
2001	Mike Miller	Orlando	G	11.9
2000	Elton Brand	Chicago	F	20.1
2000	Steve Francis	Houston	G	18.0
1999	Vince Carter	Toronto	F	18.3
1998	Tim Duncan	San Antonio	F/C	21.6
1997	Allen Iverson	Philadelphia	G	23.5
1996	Damon Stoudamire	Toronto	G	19.0
1995	Jason Kidd	Dallas	G	11.7
1995	Grant Hill	Detroit	F	19.9
1994	Chris Webber	Golden State	F	17.5
1993	Shaquille O'Neal	Orlando	C	23.4
1992	Larry Johnson	Charlotte	F	19.2
1991	Derrick Coleman	New Jersey	F	18.4
1990	David Robinson	San Antonio	C	24.3
1989	Mitch Richmond	Golden State	G	22.0
1988	Mark Jackson	New York	G	13.6
1987	Chuck Person	Indiana	F	18.8
1986	Patrick Ewing	New York	C	20.0
1985	Michael Jordan	Chicago	G	28.2
1984	Ralph Sampson	Houston	C	21.0
1983	Terry Cummings	San Diego	F	23.7
1982	Buck Williams	New Jersey	F	15.5
1981	Darrell Griffith	Utah	G	20.6
1980	Larry Bird	Boston	F	21.3
1979	Phil Ford	Kansas City	G	15.9
1978	Walter Davis	Phoenix	G	24.2
1977	Adrian Dantley	Buffalo	F	20.3
1976	Alvan Adams	Phoenix	C	19.0
1975	Keith Wilkes	Golden State	F	14.2
1974	Ernie DiGregorio	Buffalo	G	15.2
1973	Bob McAdoo	Buffalo	C/F	18.0
1972	Sidney Wicks	Portland	F	24.5
1971	Geoff Petrie	Portland	G	24.8
1971	Dave Cowens	Boston	C	17.0
1970	Lew Alcindor	Milwaukee	C	28.8
1969	Wes Unseld	Baltimore	C	13.8
1968	Earl Monroe	Baltimore	G	24.3
1967	Dave Bing	Detroit	G	20.0
1966	Rick Barry	San Francisco	F	25.7
1965	Willis Reed	New York	C	19.5
1964	Jerry Lucas	Cincinnati	F/C	17.7
1963	Terry Dischinger	Chicago Zephyrs	F	25.5
1962	Walt Bellamy	Chicago Packers	C	31.6
1961	Oscar Robertson	Cincinnati	G	30.5
1960	Wilt Chamberlain *	Philadelphia	C	37.6
1959	Elgin Baylor	Minneapolis	F	24.9
1958	Woody Sauldsberry	Philadelphia	F/C	12.8
1957	Tommy Heinsohn	Boston	F	16.2
1956	Maurice Stokes	Rochester	F/C	16.8
1955	Bob Pettit	Milwaukee Hawks	F	20.4
1954	Ray Felix	Baltimore	C	17.6
1953	Don Meineke	Fort Wayne	F	10.8

Pre-NBA Official Rookie Awards

The following early rookie selections are included for historical reference. These awards were recognized by newspaper writers before the NBA established its officially recognized Rookie of the Year Award.

Year	Player	Team	Pos	AVG
1952	Mel Hutchins	Milwaukee	F	9.2
1952	Bill Tosheff	Indianapolis	F	10.8
1951	Paul Arizin	Philadelphia	F	17.2
1950	Alex Groza	Indianapolis	G	23.4
1949	Howie Shannon	Providence	F	13.4
1948	Paul Hoffman	Baltimore	F	10.5

Notes

* Wilt Chamberlain led the NBA in scoring during his rookie season.
The Chicago Packers changed their name to the Chicago Zephyrs after the 1961-62 season.
Lew Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after the 1970-71 season.
The NBA officially recognizes Don Meineke as its first Rookie of the Year winner for the 1952-53 season.
Earlier rookie awards from 1947-48 through 1951-52 were selected by newspaper writers and are included here as part of the historical record.
The Rookie of the Year Award has been shared three times on this list: Geoff Petrie and Dave Cowens in 1971, Jason Kidd and Grant Hill in 1995, and Elton Brand and Steve Francis in 2000.