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Top 5 NBA Rookie of the Year Winners Who Had Bigger Impact Than Michael Jordan and LeBron James in Their Debut Season
The rookie of the year award is one of the most closely contested awards as the youngsters fight tooth and nail to win it. However, some winners from the past had historical rookie seasons.
Any player getting drafted into the NBA for his first season finds it tough as the level of physicality from college or even the G-League can be too much to handle. The NBA is home to the fastest, strongest, smartest, and most skilled basketball players in the world and rookies nearly always require some adjustment time. However, for an increasingly small number of people, that shift is nearly effortless, enabling them to perform well from the start.
We will be looking at 5 rookies who took the league by storm with their game and the impact on their respective teams.
5. Elgin Baylor — Minneapolis Lakers, 1958-59
Many might not enjoy Elgin Baylor on the list over the likes of Michael Jordan since the Chicago Bulls legend had more points per game but Baylor as a rookie led the Minnesota Lakers to an NBA final against the Boston Celtics, which was unheard of. Baylor averaged 24.9 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. The rookie came out as the savior for the franchise as they were on the cusp of moving to Los Angeles. They did move eventually, and the final became the catalyst of the rivalry for decades to come.
4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — Milwaukee Bucks, 1969-70
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the names that changed how the game of basketball was played in the NBA. As a rookie, he averaged 28.8 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game for the Milwaukee Bucks. The rookie Jabbar transformed the Bucks and Buck won 29 more games in his rookie season than the last season. Talk about impact? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the walking definition of it and won the NBA title the very next year.
ALSO READ: Five Lesser-Known Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About NBA Legend Kareem Abdul Jabbar
3. Walt Bellamy — Chicago Packers, 1961-62
Walt Bellamy felt like Wilt Chamberlain 2.0 in terms of scoring when he went on a rampage with his scoring. Bellamy averaged 31.6 points, 19.0 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game and to date, no rookie has ever surpassed Bellamy's 973 total field goals. He was a vital part of the Olympics team for the USA which had the likes of Jerry West, Jerry Lucas, and Oscar Robertson.
2. Oscar Robertson — Cincinnati Royals, 1960-61
Oscar Robertson got famous as the walking triple-double man but before he had that nickname, he had a fabulous year as a rookie. He averaged 30.5 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.7 assists in his debut season with the Cincinnati Royals. The signs of things in terms of triple-double were evident from his very first season. To cap off an incredible rookie year, he was also named the All-Star Game MVP.
1. Wilt Chamberlain — Philadelphia Warriors, 1959-60
One of the best basketball players ever to grace the NBA is Wilt Chamberlain. His numbers as a rookie might never be matched. Chamberlain was the most dominant rookie the league ever saw as he averaged an astonishing 37.6 points, 27.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Unsurprisingly, Chamberlain also won the Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards.
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