The History of Kia NBA Rookies of the Year
From Monk Meineke to Victor Wembanyama
The Most Prestigious Award for NBA Newcomers
Every year, the NBA recognizes the most outstanding rookie in the league with the Kia Rookie of the Year Award. This prestigious honor has been given to some of the greatest players in basketball history, including Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Take a look back at every Kia Rookie of the Year award winner in NBA history:
- 1952-53: Monk Meineke
- 1953-54: Bob Houbregs
- 1954-55: Bob Pettit
- 1955-56: Tom Heinsohn
- 1956-57: Wilt Chamberlain
- 1957-58: Woody Sauldsberry
- 1958-59: Elgin Baylor
- 1959-60: Wilt Chamberlain
- 1960-61: Oscar Robertson
- 1961-62: Walt Bellamy
- 1962-63: Terry Dischinger
- 1963-64: Jerry Lucas
- 1964-65: Willis Reed
- 1965-66: Rick Barry
- 1966-67: Dave Bing
- 1967-68: Earl Monroe
- 1968-69: Wes Unseld
- 1969-70: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- 1970-71: Dave Cowens
- 1971-72: Sidney Wicks
- 1972-73: Bob McAdoo
- 1973-74: Ernie DiGregorio
- 1974-75: Jamaal Wilkes
- 1975-76: Scott May
- 1976-77: Adrian Dantley
- 1977-78: Bernard King
- 1978-79: Phil Ford
- 1979-80: Magic Johnson
- 1980-81: Darrell Griffith
- 1981-82: Mark Aguirre
The most recent Rookie of the Year winner is Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. Wembanyama is a 7-foot-3 center who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He averaged 23.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks per game in his rookie season.
Twenty-two winners were drafted first overall. Since 2022-23 the NBA ROY is awarded the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy. The first Rookie of the Year officially recognized by the NBA is Monk Meineke in 1952.
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