NBA / Dec 7, 2011 / 3:00 pm

Top 10 Rookie Seasons In NBA History

By

Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan Rookie Card

10. Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando Magic (1992-93)
Stats: 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game
Awards: All-Star Game, Rookie of the Year

Drafted by Orlando with the first pick in the 1992 NBA Draft, O’Neal became the first rookie ever to be named Player of the Week in his first week, and the first rookie to be start in the All-Star Game since Michael Jordan in 1985. By the end of the season, the Magic finished 41-41, winning 20 more games than the previous season.

9. David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs (1989-90)
Stats: 24.3 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game
Awards: All-Star Game, Rookie of the Year

Drafted by San Antonio with the first pick in the 1987 NBA Draft, Robinson had to serve two years in the Navy before making his NBA debut, leading the Spurs to the greatest single season turnaround in league history at the time. By the end of the season, the Spurs went from 21-61 to 56-26, a remarkable 35-game improvement and good enough to garner him All-NBA Third Team honors.

8. Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers (1979-80)
Stats: 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game
Awards: All-Star Game, NBA Finals MVP

Drafted by Los Angeles with the first pick in the 1979 NBA Draft, Johnson is the only rookie on this list to be named NBA Finals MVP. Playing alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, he started in the All-Star Game and compiled a 60-22 record in the regular season.

7. Wes Unseld, Baltimore Bullets (1968-69)
Stats: 13.8 points and 18.2 rebounds per game
Awards: All-Star Game, Rookie of the Year, MVP

Drafted by Baltimore with the second pick in the 1968 NBA Draft, Unseld joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only rookie to be named both the Rookie of the Year and NBA MVP. By the end of the season, he helped lead the Bullets to a 57-25 record and a division title, earning him All-NBA First Team honors.

6. Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls (1984-1985)
Stats: 28.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game
Awards: All-Star Game, Rookie of the Year

Drafted by Chicago with the third pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, the legacy of The G.O.A.T. started this year. And to think he only made the All-NBA Second Team.

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  • Banny

    Grant Hill honorable mention. 20ppg 5asts 6rbs 2stls

  • xxbabes

    surely if u put Lebron’s 20,5,5 as an honourable mention then u have to put Tyreke in…

  • Promoman

    @ Banny

    Jason Kidd too. Grant was ringing up triple doubles left & right but Jason was lighting up too.

  • First & Foremost

    @Banny – If only Grant Hill had 6 more points that season he would have joined that rookie 20/5/5 club. 19.91ppg just doesn’t cut it.

  • karl

    Where’s Tyreke Evans he had similiar stats to lebron?

  • http://www.dimemag.com Aron Phillips

    After some convincing from Twitter, Tyreke has been added to Honorable Mention.

  • http://twitter.com/#!/DonCharlionne hollywud15

    if LeBron is in honorable mentions you have to put Melo… because he had the better season. He just didn’t win the ROY because he wasn’t “The Chosen One”

  • cesar

    baylor’s and hayes’ rookie year > shaq’s and robinson’s rookie year

  • Duncanrules

    Not having Timmy in the top 10 is a travesty.

    Very first playoff game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN5LdZEzWKo&list=FLqrq3-4nnhb_r2-LwbgD1dg&index=72&feature=plpp_video

    Unstoppable.

  • Aleks Kaludjerovic

    let me just start by saying Carmelo had just as good of a rookie season as LeBron both their teams were bottom tier teams the season before and they both ended up making the playoff. And lebrons numbers werent even really better Melo averaged 21.0ppg, 6.1rpg,2.8apg and shot 43% while leberon averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game on 41% fg. Ya Lebron averaged more assists but he played the point alot of the time. Lebron had Carlos Boozer and Z on his team while they were both playing solid while Carmelo’s 2 other best players were Andre Miller and Voshon Lenard and the Nuggets still finished with abetter record of 43-39 compared to Lebron’s 35-47. Melo’s team played better than Lebron’s. I’m not saying Lebron didn’t deserve it Im just saying that was one of the years the award deserved to be shared. Great write up by the way.

  • Aleks Kaludjerovic

    Been wanting to get that off my chest for a while lol

  • http://www.psychodrama.com Chicagorilla

    I don’t know if anyone before the 80′s should be taken seriously. but the list is mostly correct

  • thrillah

    @Aleks Kaludjerovic
    LeBron didn’t make the playoffs his rookie year.

  • UncheckedAggression

    Lebron vs. Carmelo was not close. I thought it was so funny when some of you would try that argument when they were rookies.

    It was a lot like the guys that argued for Jennings over Evans.

  • silky

    the 3 headed monster of Kidd, hill and big dog…. best rookie of year race ever. had it all

  • Vinny

    @chicagorilla- why shouldnt anyone before the 80′s be considered?

  • mitch

    how about most memorable rookie season?? (1990 and up, sorry I’m a youngin)
    my top 5:
    1. shaq: owned disneyland from day 1
    2(a,b). vince carter & jason williams: basically saving the nba after the 1999 lockout.
    3. lebron: just cause of the hype
    4. Allen Iverson: must watch tv, the anti-jordan
    5a. penny hardaway: the next magic
    5b. grant hill: was suppose to be the passing to the guards after jordan

  • http://www.psychodrama.com Chicagorilla

    @Vinny

    Its just that numbers were so inflated back then. Just look at the list. Elgin Baylor and Oscar Robertson are 6’5 wing players who grabbed 15 and 10rebs per game as rookies…for an entire season.

    The 80′s is when the talent pool really started to balance out (thanks in large part to Dr. J’s influence) and we had more teams and skilled players with talent spread throughout the NBA. Teams like the 80′s Dallas Mavericks would’ve run through the NBA back then, if not for the Lakers standing in their way. That’s just how competitive it was back then.
    I would maybe make a seperate list then.

  • http://www.psychodrama.com Chicagorilla

    @Vinny

    Its just that numbers were so inflated back then. Just look at the list. Elgin Baylor and Oscar Robertson are 6’5 wing players who grabbed 15 and 10rebs per game as rookies…for an entire season.

    The 80′s is when the talent pool really started to balance out (thanks in large part to Dr. J’s influence) and we had more teams and skilled players with talent spread throughout the NBA. Teams like the 80′s Dallas Mavericks would’ve run through the NBA back then, if not for the Lakers standing in their way. That’s just how competitive it was back then.
    I would maybe make a seperate list then.

  • Banny

    I’d say Grants stat line cuts it. He was a better rookie then Tyreke regardless of stats.

  • knicksfan84

    No Elton Brand love??? 20pts 10rebs 1.6blks co-rookie of the year…

  • http://www.cracked.com/funny-353-kobe-bryant/ Atom

    Walt Bellamy: 31.6 points and 19.0 boards + leading league in FGP? Damn. Easily least hyped player on the list and some of the most impressive stats. I see why he made that “How to Be a Player” movie.

  • http://brokejumper.com/ Brokejumper

    Great list, way to bring it back to the old school, Durant could be a honorable mention 20.3ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.4apg.

  • Ian

    duncan outside the top ten?!?! and a rookie that takes his team from 21 wins to the second round game 7 against the conference champs is only 9??? yeah right

  • star_bury

    Come on Aron, Wilt was not the third pick in the 1959 NBA draft. He was a territorial pick before the draft happened and a sketchy one at that…

  • Mars

    lol@lenard being mentioned.

    for me iverson rookie year is still one of the most amazing rookie ever

  • Vinny

    @chicagorilla
    I disagree- lets use the 72/73 season as an example.
    there were only 16 teams-the league started to get really watered down in the 80′s. there was more talent on each team. Wilt was playing against reed, bellamy,thurmond, lanier, jabbar. Thats just the center position. those centers would kill people if they played now! dont underestimate the overall talent back then.

  • Ian

    vinny
    reed like most ny athletes is overrated. its been a while since i bashed a knick so let me have this one in peace.

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