Helena Frye
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. The award was initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, and the winner receives the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, named after the former Rookie of the Year winner. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, who cast first-, second-, and third-place votes. The player with the highest number of points wins the award. The latest recipient of the award is Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| When did the NBA Rookie of the Year award start? | 1952-53 NBA season |
| Who does the award commemorate? | Eddie Gottlieb, former Philadelphia Warriors head coach |
| What is the current name of the trophy? | Wilt Chamberlain Trophy |
| Who selects the winner? | A panel of US and Canadian sportswriters and broadcasters |
| Who was the most recent winner? | Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs |
| Who sparked debate in 2018 about the definition of a rookie? | Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell |
| What was the debate about? | Whether a rookie should be defined as a player in the season directly following the draft |
| What were the suggestions for redefining a rookie? | The player hasn't played professional basketball before, is under 21 years old, and hasn't been selected in the first round of the draft |
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What You'll Learn
Who is eligible for the NBA Rookie of the Year award?
The NBA's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. It was first introduced following the 1952–53 NBA season and the winner receives the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, named after the former Philadelphia Warriors head coach. Since the 2022–23 NBA season, winners have received the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, named after a former Rookie of the Year winner.
The winner is selected by a panel of US and Canadian sportswriters and broadcasters, who each cast first-, second-, and third-place votes (worth five, three, and one point, respectively). The player(s) with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award.
Prior to the 1952–53 season, the Rookie of the Year was selected by newspaper writers, but the NBA does not officially recognize those players as winners.
Some notable winners of the award include Michael Jordan (1985), Joel Embiid (2016-17), and the most recent winner, Victor Wembanyama.
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What is the history of the NBA Rookie of the Year award?
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year award is an annual award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. The award was initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season and confers the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, named after the former Philadelphia Warriors head coach. Since the 2022–23 NBA season, winners have received the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, named after the former Rookie of the Year winner.
Prior to the 1952–53 season, the Rookie of the Year was selected by newspaper writers; however, the NBA does not officially recognize those players as winners. The league published the pre-1953 winners in their 1994–95 edition of the Official NBA Guide and the 1994 Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia, but those winners have not been listed in subsequent publications. The winner is selected by a panel of US and Canadian sportswriters and broadcasters, who each cast first-, second-, and third-place votes (worth five points, three points, and one point, respectively). The player(s) with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award.
The award is often a first foray into a successful career, with winners going on to achieve Hall of Fame status. Some notable winners of the award include Pau Gasol, the first non-American to win the award, and Hakeem Olajuwon, who was picked ahead of Michael Jordan in the 1984 NBA Draft.
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Who selects the winner of the award?
The winner of the NBA Rookie of the Year award is selected by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from the United States and Canada. Each member of the panel casts first-, second-, and third-place votes (worth five points, three points, and one point, respectively). The winner is the player with the highest total number of points, regardless of the number of first-place votes.
Prior to the 1952–53 season, the award was selected by newspaper writers. However, the NBA does not officially recognize those players as winners. The league published the pre-1953 winners in their 1994–95 edition of the Official NBA Guide and the 1994 Official NBA Basketball Encyclopedia, but those winners have not been listed in subsequent publications.
Since the 2022–23 NBA season, winners receive the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, named after the former Rookie of the Year winner. The award was previously known as the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, named after the former Philadelphia Warriors head coach.
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What are the rules for being a rookie?
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel of US and Canadian sportswriters and broadcasters. There is some debate about what constitutes a rookie, with some arguing that it should be the first year on the NBA's payroll, and others that it should be the first year of playing NBA basketball in an NBA game on an NBA court.
The designated rookie rule allows teams to extend players with one year left on their rookie-scale contracts for five additional years. Teams are only allowed to have two designated rookies at a time and can only trade for one. This rule incentivizes players to extend their contracts with their teams instead of entering free agency.
There are several restrictions for teams that come with having designated rookies, such as the amount they can have and trading for them. For example, if a player has one year left on their contract, they can only extend for four additional years, as the current year and the four additional years turn the contract into a five-year deal.
The NBA might be interested in adopting a rookie designation similar to that of Major League Baseball, where if a player competes in a minimal number of games in their rookie season due to injury, they would qualify for Rookie of the Year in the following season. However, as of 2018, there were no plans to change the eligibility rules for Rookie of the Year.
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What are the benefits of being a rookie?
In the National Basketball Association (NBA), a rookie is any player who has never played an NBA game before that year. Being a rookie comes with many benefits, some of which are outlined below.
Learning the Game
Rookies get the opportunity to learn the NBA game and gain confidence in a less intense environment. Summer League and the D League are great fixtures for player development and evaluation, giving rookies a chance to get actual game reps and make mistakes in a lower-stakes setting. This allows them to learn from their mistakes and improve before the regular season starts.
Support and Development
NBA teams have extensive support systems in place to aid in the development of their rookies. This includes medical and strength & conditioning departments, assistant coaches, and other staff members dedicated to helping players improve. Regular check-ins with players are also conducted to ensure their mental health and well-being, and to address any concerns or issues they may be facing.
Rookie of the Year Award
The NBA awards the best rookie with the prestigious Rookie of the Year Award, voted on by a selected panel of US and Canadian sportswriters and broadcasters. This award brings recognition and can be a great boost to a rookie's career.
Special Contract Rules
Rookies in the NBA benefit from special contract rules that limit the amount of money a team can pay them and the length of their contracts. While this may seem like a disadvantage, it ensures that rookies don't face excessive financial pressure or commit too early in their careers.
Lower Expectations
As newcomers to the league, rookies typically face lower expectations from fans, the media, and their teams. This can reduce the pressure on them to perform and allow them to focus on their development without the weight of high expectations.
In summary, being an NBA rookie comes with a range of benefits that support player development, provide recognition, and protect newcomers as they adjust to the league. These advantages contribute to the overall growth and improvement of rookie players in the highly competitive world of professional basketball.
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Frequently asked questions
The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season.
The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from the United States and Canada, who cast first-, second-, and third-place votes worth five, three, and one point, respectively. The player with the highest number of points wins the award.
The NBA defines a rookie as a player who has never played in an NBA game before the season in question. Some people argue that a rookie should be someone who plays in the season directly following the draft. Others suggest that a rookie should be under 21 years old and should not have earned money from playing basketball before.
