Every NBA Rookie of the Year Winner in History
The NBA has handed out a Rookie of the Year award in all 74 seasons since 1952-53, and 77 different players have won it — three seasons ended in a tie. The most recent winner is Cooper Flagg, who took the 2025-26 award with the Dallas Mavericks. The first was Don Meineke of the Fort Wayne Pistons.
Below is every winner, in order, with position, team and the draft slot each player came from — plus the stories that come out of the list: the trophy's two names, the three ties, the six unanimous picks, and the 17 rookies who eventually won a league MVP.
The Award at a Glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| First awarded | 1952-53 season (Don Meineke, Fort Wayne Pistons) |
| Seasons awarded | 74 (1952-53 through 2025-26) |
| Individual winners | 77 — three seasons ended in ties |
| Current trophy | Wilt Chamberlain Trophy (the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy through 2021-22) |
| Unanimous winners | 6 |
| Won by a No. 1 overall pick | 24 of 77 |
| Most recent winner | Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks (2025-26) |
Every NBA Rookie of the Year, 1952-53 to 2025-26
Draft slot is the overall pick number and the year the player was selected — which is not always the year before he won, since Larry Bird, Blake Griffin and Ben Simmons all sat out or missed their draft-year season.
| Season | Player | Pos. | Team | Draft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952–53 | Don Meineke | F/C | Fort Wayne Pistons | No. 12 (1952) |
| 1953–54 | Ray Felix | C | Baltimore Bullets | No. 1 (1953) |
| 1954–55 | Bob Pettit | F/C | Milwaukee Hawks | No. 2 (1954) |
| 1955–56 | Maurice Stokes | F/C | Rochester Royals | No. 2 (1955) |
| 1956–57 | Tom Heinsohn | F | Boston Celtics | Territorial (1956) |
| 1957–58 | Woody Sauldsberry | F/C | Philadelphia Warriors | No. 60 (1957) |
| 1958–59 | Elgin Baylor | F | Minneapolis Lakers | No. 1 (1958) |
| 1959–60 | Wilt Chamberlain | C | Philadelphia Warriors | Territorial (1955) |
| 1960–61 | Oscar Robertson | G | Cincinnati Royals | Territorial (1960) |
| 1961–62 | Walt Bellamy | C | Chicago Packers | No. 1 (1961) |
| 1962–63 | Terry Dischinger | F/G | Chicago Zephyrs | No. 8 (1962) |
| 1963–64 | Jerry Lucas | F/C | Cincinnati Royals | Territorial (1962) |
| 1964–65 | Willis Reed | C/F | New York Knicks | No. 8 (1964) |
| 1965–66 | Rick Barry | F | San Francisco Warriors | No. 2 (1965) |
| 1966–67 | Dave Bing | G | Detroit Pistons | No. 2 (1966) |
| 1967–68 | Earl Monroe | G | Baltimore Bullets | No. 2 (1967) |
| 1968–69 | Wes Unseld | C/F | Baltimore Bullets | No. 2 (1968) |
| 1969–70 | Lew Alcindor | C | Milwaukee Bucks | No. 1 (1969) |
| 1970–71 | Dave Cowens (tie) | C/F | Boston Celtics | No. 4 (1970) |
| 1970–71 | Geoff Petrie (tie) | G | Portland Trail Blazers | No. 8 (1970) |
| 1971–72 | Sidney Wicks | F/C | Portland Trail Blazers | No. 2 (1971) |
| 1972–73 | Bob McAdoo | C/F | Buffalo Braves | No. 2 (1972) |
| 1973–74 | Ernie DiGregorio | G | Buffalo Braves | No. 3 (1973) |
| 1974–75 | Jamaal Wilkes | F/G | Golden State Warriors | No. 11 (1974) |
| 1975–76 | Alvan Adams | C/F | Phoenix Suns | No. 4 (1975) |
| 1976–77 | Adrian Dantley | F/G | Buffalo Braves | No. 6 (1976) |
| 1977–78 | Walter Davis | G/F | Phoenix Suns | No. 5 (1977) |
| 1978–79 | Phil Ford | G | Kansas City Kings | No. 2 (1978) |
| 1979–80 | Larry Bird | F | Boston Celtics | No. 6 (1978) |
| 1980–81 | Darrell Griffith | G | Utah Jazz | No. 2 (1980) |
| 1981–82 | Buck Williams | F/C | New Jersey Nets | No. 3 (1981) |
| 1982–83 | Terry Cummings | F | San Diego Clippers | No. 2 (1982) |
| 1983–84 | Ralph Sampson | C/F | Houston Rockets | No. 1 (1983) |
| 1984–85 | Michael Jordan | G | Chicago Bulls | No. 3 (1984) |
| 1985–86 | Patrick Ewing | C | New York Knicks | No. 1 (1985) |
| 1986–87 | Chuck Person | F | Indiana Pacers | No. 4 (1986) |
| 1987–88 | Mark Jackson | G | New York Knicks | No. 18 (1987) |
| 1988–89 | Mitch Richmond | G | Golden State Warriors | No. 5 (1988) |
| 1989–90 | David Robinson | C | San Antonio Spurs | No. 1 (1987) |
| 1990–91 | Derrick Coleman | F | New Jersey Nets | No. 1 (1990) |
| 1991–92 | Larry Johnson | F | Charlotte Hornets | No. 1 (1991) |
| 1992–93 | Shaquille O'Neal | C | Orlando Magic | No. 1 (1992) |
| 1993–94 | Chris Webber | F/C | Golden State Warriors | No. 1 (1993) |
| 1994–95 | Grant Hill (tie) | F/G | Detroit Pistons | No. 3 (1994) |
| 1994–95 | Jason Kidd (tie) | G | Dallas Mavericks | No. 2 (1994) |
| 1995–96 | Damon Stoudamire | G | Toronto Raptors | No. 7 (1995) |
| 1996–97 | Allen Iverson | G | Philadelphia 76ers | No. 1 (1996) |
| 1997–98 | Tim Duncan | F/C | San Antonio Spurs | No. 1 (1997) |
| 1998–99 | Vince Carter | G/F | Toronto Raptors | No. 5 (1998) |
| 1999–00 | Elton Brand (tie) | F | Chicago Bulls | No. 1 (1999) |
| 1999–00 | Steve Francis (tie) | G | Houston Rockets | No. 2 (1999) |
| 2000–01 | Mike Miller | F/G | Orlando Magic | No. 5 (2000) |
| 2001–02 | Pau Gasol | F/C | Memphis Grizzlies | No. 3 (2001) |
| 2002–03 | Amar'e Stoudemire | F/C | Phoenix Suns | No. 9 (2002) |
| 2003–04 | LeBron James | F | Cleveland Cavaliers | No. 1 (2003) |
| 2004–05 | Emeka Okafor | C/F | Charlotte Bobcats | No. 2 (2004) |
| 2005–06 | Chris Paul | G | New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets | No. 4 (2005) |
| 2006–07 | Brandon Roy | G | Portland Trail Blazers | No. 6 (2006) |
| 2007–08 | Kevin Durant | F | Seattle SuperSonics | No. 2 (2007) |
| 2008–09 | Derrick Rose | G | Chicago Bulls | No. 1 (2008) |
| 2009–10 | Tyreke Evans | G/F | Sacramento Kings | No. 4 (2009) |
| 2010–11 | Blake Griffin | F | Los Angeles Clippers | No. 1 (2009) |
| 2011–12 | Kyrie Irving | G | Cleveland Cavaliers | No. 1 (2011) |
| 2012–13 | Damian Lillard | G | Portland Trail Blazers | No. 6 (2012) |
| 2013–14 | Michael Carter-Williams | G | Philadelphia 76ers | No. 11 (2013) |
| 2014–15 | Andrew Wiggins | F/G | Minnesota Timberwolves | No. 1 (2014) |
| 2015–16 | Karl-Anthony Towns | C | Minnesota Timberwolves | No. 1 (2015) |
| 2016–17 | Malcolm Brogdon | G | Milwaukee Bucks | No. 36 (2016) |
| 2017–18 | Ben Simmons | G | Philadelphia 76ers | No. 1 (2016) |
| 2018–19 | Luka Dončić | G/F | Dallas Mavericks | No. 3 (2018) |
| 2019–20 | Ja Morant | G | Memphis Grizzlies | No. 2 (2019) |
| 2020–21 | LaMelo Ball | G | Charlotte Hornets | No. 3 (2020) |
| 2021–22 | Scottie Barnes | F | Toronto Raptors | No. 4 (2021) |
| 2022–23 | Paolo Banchero | F | Orlando Magic | No. 1 (2022) |
| 2023–24 | Victor Wembanyama | C | San Antonio Spurs | No. 1 (2023) |
| 2024–25 | Stephon Castle | G | San Antonio Spurs | No. 4 (2024) |
| 2025–26 | Cooper Flagg | F | Dallas Mavericks | No. 1 (2025) |
This page is refreshed every spring, once the NBA announces its regular-season awards in April.
The Eddie Gottlieb Trophy — and Why It Isn't Called That Anymore
For most of the award's life, the Rookie of the Year trophy was the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy. Gottlieb was one of the people who built the league: he helped organize the Basketball Association of America in 1946, coached the Philadelphia Warriors from 1946 to 1955, bought the franchise in 1952 for $25,000, chaired the NBA rules committee for 25 years, and hand-built the league's schedule for three decades. He was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1972 and died in 1979.
In December 2022 the NBA renamed and redesigned its major individual awards after Hall of Fame players. Rookie of the Year became the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy — a fitting choice, since Chamberlain's 1959-60 rookie season also produced a league MVP and an All-Star Game MVP. Scottie Barnes (2021-22) was the last player to receive the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy; Paolo Banchero (2022-23) was the first to receive the Chamberlain version. The same round of renaming gave the Defensive Player of the Year award Hakeem Olajuwon's name and the Sixth Man award John Havlicek's.
The Ties: Three, Not One
Rookie of the Year has ended in a dead heat three times, which is more often than any other NBA regular-season award:
- 1970-71 — Dave Cowens (Boston) and Geoff Petrie (Portland). The first tie in award history. Cowens was the No. 4 pick, Petrie the No. 8.
- 1994-95 — Grant Hill (Detroit) and Jason Kidd (Dallas). The most famous of the three, and the one people usually remember as "the tie." Hill was drafted third in 1994, Kidd second.
- 1999-2000 — Elton Brand (Chicago) and Steve Francis (Houston). The 1999 draft's top two picks split the award.
If you have heard that the Hill–Kidd split was the only tie in the award's history, that is a common misconception. It was the second of three.
Six Unanimous Winners
Six rookies have swept every first-place vote:
| Season | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1983–84 | Ralph Sampson | Houston Rockets |
| 1989–90 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2010–11 | Blake Griffin | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2012–13 | Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2015–16 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2023–24 | Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs |
Wembanyama's 2023-24 sweep is the most recent, and it later took on extra weight: when he won Defensive Player of the Year unanimously in 2025-26, he became the only player to win both of those awards unanimously.
Rookies of the Year Who Later Won MVP
Seventeen Rookie of the Year winners went on to win at least one league MVP: Bob Pettit, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dave Cowens, Bob McAdoo, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose.
Only two of them did it in the same season:
- Wilt Chamberlain, 1959-60. As a rookie he averaged a scoring and rebounding title and won MVP outright.
- Wes Unseld, 1968-69. The Baltimore Bullets' No. 2 pick turned a last-place team into the East's best record and swept both trophies.
The gaps at the other end are just as interesting. David Robinson won Rookie of the Year in 1989-90 and MVP in 1994-95 — a five-year wait. Bob Pettit won the first of his two MVPs the season immediately after his rookie award, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) did the same in 1970-71.
A narrower club: only three players have won Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year at any point in their careers — Michael Jordan, David Robinson and Victor Wembanyama. Several more turn up on the Finals MVP list, including Duncan, O'Neal, James and Chamberlain.
No. 1 Picks vs. Everyone Else
Twenty-four of the 77 winners were the No. 1 overall pick in their draft — roughly three in ten. Four more (Tom Heinsohn, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas) arrived through the old territorial-pick system, which let teams claim a local college star before the draft board opened. That system was scrapped in 1966.
The other 53 winners were taken somewhere else, and some of them were taken a long way down:
| Winner | Draft slot | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Woody Sauldsberry (1957-58) | No. 60, 1957 | Lowest-drafted winner ever; eighth round |
| Malcolm Brogdon (2016-17) | No. 36, 2016 | Only second-round pick to win since the draft shrank to two rounds in 1989 |
| Mark Jackson (1987-88) | No. 18, 1987 | Beat a class that included David Robinson, Scottie Pippen and Reggie Miller |
| Don Meineke (1952-53) | No. 12, 1952 | The very first winner |
| Jamaal Wilkes (1974-75) | No. 11, 1974 | Went on to four championships |
The pattern over the last decade runs the other way: seven of the last ten winners were top-four picks. For the mechanics of how those top picks get assigned, see how the NBA draft lottery works.
International Winners
Seven Rookies of the Year were born outside the United States:
| Player | Born | Season won |
|---|---|---|
| Patrick Ewing | Jamaica | 1985–86 |
| Pau Gasol | Spain | 2001–02 |
| Andrew Wiggins | Canada | 2014–15 |
| Kyrie Irving | Australia | 2011–12 |
| Ben Simmons | Australia | 2017–18 |
| Luka Dončić | Slovenia | 2018–19 |
| Victor Wembanyama | France | 2023–24 |
Only three of them — Gasol, Dončić and Wembanyama — developed entirely outside the American system. Ewing moved to Massachusetts as a boy and played at Georgetown; Irving was born in Melbourne to American parents and grew up in New Jersey; Wiggins played high school ball in West Virginia and one season at Kansas; Simmons played a season at LSU.
Dončić is the outlier even inside that group: he had already won a EuroLeague title and been named EuroLeague MVP before he ever played an NBA game. Wembanyama is the outlier in a different way — he is one of the tallest players ever to appear in an NBA game, a list you can see in full in the 10 tallest players in NBA history.
Which Franchises Have Produced the Most
The Warriors franchise — Philadelphia, then San Francisco, then Golden State — leads with five: Woody Sauldsberry, Wilt Chamberlain, Rick Barry, Mitch Richmond and Chris Webber. San Antonio and Portland have four each.
San Antonio's four came in a strange cluster: David Robinson in 1990, Tim Duncan in 1998, then Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle back-to-back in 2024 and 2025. Same-team winners in consecutive seasons have happened only a handful of times — Baltimore (1968-69), Portland (1971-72), Buffalo (1973-74), Minnesota (2015-16) and now San Antonio. Those Spurs reached the 2026 Finals and lost to the Knicks; the full championship history has the rest.
Cooper Flagg, 2025-26
Flagg won the closest Rookie of the Year vote in more than two decades. He took 56 first-place votes and 412 points to Kon Knueppel's 44 and 386 — a 26-point margin, the second-smallest since the voting format changed in 2002-03. The two were teammates at Duke the season before.
The Mavericks' No. 1 overall pick averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals, becoming the first rookie since Michael Jordan to lead his team in all four categories. On April 3, 2026, he scored 51 points against Orlando to become the first teenager in NBA history with a 50-point game. Dallas finished 26-56, which made the award unusual on its own terms: Flagg's individual case was strong enough to outweigh a losing team.
He is the third Rookie of the Year in Mavericks history, after Jason Kidd in 1995 and Luka Dončić in 2019.
FAQ
Who won the most recent NBA Rookie of the Year award? Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks, for the 2025-26 season. He edged Charlotte's Kon Knueppel 412 points to 386 in the closest vote since at least 2002-03.
Who was the first NBA Rookie of the Year? Don Meineke of the Fort Wayne Pistons, for the 1952-53 season. He had been the 12th overall pick in the 1952 draft.
Has the Rookie of the Year award ever ended in a tie? Three times: Dave Cowens and Geoff Petrie in 1970-71, Grant Hill and Jason Kidd in 1994-95, and Elton Brand and Steve Francis in 1999-2000.
How many players have won Rookie of the Year unanimously? Six: Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard, Karl-Anthony Towns and Victor Wembanyama.
Does the NBA's 65-game rule apply to Rookie of the Year? No. The 65-game minimum introduced for the 2023-24 season applies to MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, All-NBA and All-Defensive teams. Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and the All-Rookie teams are exempt.
Who has won both Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season? Only Wilt Chamberlain (1959-60) and Wes Unseld (1968-69).
Is the Rookie of the Year trophy still named after Eddie Gottlieb? No. It was the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy through 2021-22 and became the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy starting with the 2022-23 award.
Do you have to be a No. 1 pick to win it? No. Twenty-four of the 77 winners were No. 1 overall picks. Woody Sauldsberry went 60th in 1957 and Malcolm Brogdon 36th in 2016.
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