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1.6k voters

All NBA Rookie Of The Year Award Winners, Ranked

Updated November 5, 2019 19.0k votes 1.6k voters 9.0k views69 items

List RulesVote up the ROTY winners based on their overall NBA careers.

Of all the NBA Rookie of the Year winners, there has to be a single best. Sure, each and every winner of the sought-after award can be considered the best in their own right, even if it's just for their rookie season, but how do they all stand up against each other? Year after year, we see the top rookies fight for the title, whether that's by being a leading point scorer or a powerhouse on defense (or both). But do they get better each year? Does the ROTY from 50 years ago compare to any of the top current NBA players? That's up to you fans to decide.

From first winner Don Meineke in 1953 to 2017 ROTY Malcolm Brogdon, who are the best NBA Rookie of the Year winners? While Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving have proved themselves far past rookies, you still have to consider other all-time NBA greats who won the award, such as Larry Bird and Wilt Chamberlain—lest we forget the GOAT Michael Jordan. Clearly, determining the best ROTY of all time is certainly no easy decision.

Nevertheless, here's a list of NBA Rookie of the Year award winners, ready to be ranked by you. Vote up the best players and keep in mind, someone is going to take the last spot as the worst ROTY, so vote accordingly.

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1
892
246
Michael Jordan
Shooting guard
1984–85
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2
646
202
Wilt Chamberlain
Center
1959–60
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18 Unbelievable But True Stories from the Buckwild Life of Wilt Chamberlain#154 of 1,427 The Best Athletes Of All Time
3
500
152
Tim Duncan
Power forward
1997–98

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#6 of 55 The Best No. 1 Overall NBA Draft Picks of All Time, Ranked#1 of 168 The Greatest Power Forwards in NBA History
4
577
187
Larry Bird
Small forward
1979–80
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#35 of 105 The Most Influential Contemporary Americans#10 of 115 The Funniest Professional Athletes
5
612
212
Shaquille O'Neal
Center
1992–93

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#1426 of 2,753 The Most Influential People of All Time#81 of 217 Celebrities Who Should Run for President
6
797
296
LeBron James
Power forward
2003–04
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The Best LeBron 16 Colorways, Ranked#246 of 269 The Most Trustworthy Celebrities In The World
7
396
127
Oscar Robertson
Point guard
1960–61
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#7 of 175 The Greatest Shooting Guards in NBA History#3 of 25 The Best NBA Point Guards of the 1970s
8
494
177
Allen Iverson
Point guard
1996–97

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#2 of 22 The Greatest Georgetown Basketball Players of All Time#4 of 120 The Fastest NBA Players of All Time
9
351
126
David Robinson
Center
1989–90
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#3 of 30 The Best NBA Centers of the '90s#25 of 116 The Greatest Left-Handed Athletes of All Time
10
440
180
Kevin Durant
Small forward
2007–08
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11
292
119
Patrick Ewing
Center
1985–86
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#76 of 100 The Best Current College Basketball Coaches#106 of 124 The Greatest College Basketball Coaches of All Time
12
314
133
Vince Carter
Small forward
1998–99
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#1 of 26 The Best Dunkers In NBA History#53 of 85 Great Athletes Who Waited Too Long To Retire
13
508
249
Derrick Rose
Point guard
2008–09
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#2 of 46 The Greatest Memphis Basketball Players of All Time#33 of 71 The Best Point Guards Currently in the NBA

14
311
135
Damian Lillard
Point guard
2012–13
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#7 of 265 The Top 100+ NBA Players Today#6 of 103 The Most Likable Players In The NBA Today
15
288
135
Chris Paul
Point guard
2005–06

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16
214
90
Elgin Baylor
Small forward
1958–59
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#191 of 269 The Top NBA Players Of All Time#7 of 107 The Greatest Lakers of All Time
17
279
134
Lew Alcindor
1969–70
18
240
123
Jason Kidd
Point guard
1994–95
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#8 of 27 The Best '90s Point Guards#41 of 66 The Most Controversial Athletes in Sports History
19
367
214
Kyrie Irving
Point guard
2011–12
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The Best Kyrie 4 Colorways, Ranked#428 of 439 Famous Men You'd Want to Have a Beer With
20
194
93
Chris Webber
Power forward, Center
1993–94
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#1 of 46 The Greatest Michigan Basketball Players of All Time#28 of 78 The Best Philadelphia 76ers of All Time
21
209
105
Grant Hill
Small forward
1994–95
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#43 of 71 Mormon Politicians#2 of 76 The Greatest Duke Basketball Players of All Time
22
209
125
Blake Griffin
Power forward
2010–11
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23
136
73
Rick Barry
Small forward
1965–66

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#136 of 150 Athletes You Didn't Know Were Conservative#3 of 23 The Best Small Forwards of the 60s

24
174
106
Pau Gasol
Power forward, Center
2001–02
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#33 of 54 The Most Hated Active NBA Players#24 of 73 The Greatest Chicago Bulls of All Time
25
140
80
Bob Pettit
Power forward
1954–55
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#19 of 232 The Best White Players in NBA History#3 of 59 The Greatest LSU Basketball Players of All Time

Lew Alcindor