Award seasons, curated
Greatest NBA Rookie of the Year seasons.
The most fully formed opening acts by players who actually won the award.
Official award history ↗#1
Player season →1959-60 · Philadelphia Warriors
Wilt Chamberlain
37.6 PPG · 27.0 RPG · MVP
A rookie season so dominant that it also won the league's MVP.
#2
Player season →1960-61 · Cincinnati Royals
Oscar Robertson
30.5 PPG · 10.1 RPG · 9.7 APG
The closest a rookie has come to averaging a triple-double over a full season.
#3
Player season →1969-70 · Milwaukee Bucks
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
28.8 PPG · 14.5 RPG · 56 wins
Kareem instantly made Milwaukee a contender and set up a title the next year.
#4
Player season →1984-85 · Chicago Bulls
Michael Jordan
28.2 PPG · 6.5 RPG · 5.9 APG
Jordan arrived as an All-Star-caliber engine and transformed Chicago's relevance.
#5
Player season →1992-93 · Orlando Magic
Shaquille O'Neal
23.4 PPG · 13.9 RPG · 3.5 BPG
A franchise-changing center from his first possession.
#6
Player season →2023-24 · San Antonio Spurs
Victor Wembanyama
21.4 PPG · 10.6 RPG · 3.6 BPG
A historic shot-blocking season with an offensive ceiling already visible.
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