TOP NBA ROOKIES OF ALL TIME
Rookies can be the biggest wild card in any sport, and the NBA is no different. The new kid on the block could be a shadow with no action, or they can be the next Lebron James! Rookies are what let the games have their edge and stop them from becoming stale. If you are scrolling through some great NBA picks, watch out for how many rookies they have on their team!
We want to show you just how a rookie can shock the court. These are the top 5 rookies of all time!
Wilt Chamberlain – 1959 to 1960
Without a doubt, Wilt Chamberlain was the best rookie the NBA had ever seen. From his first season, he averaged an outstanding 37.6 points along with a phenomenal 27 rebounds per game.
His skill wasn’t a shock before he entered the court, as all the scouts had predicted he was going to do well. What none of them foresaw was just how spectacular his first season would be. In the end, he picked up the rookie of the Year award, which no one should be surprised about, but he also picked up the Most Valuable Player awards too! This was unheard of before Chamberlain. A rookie picking up an award meant for the best player of the season is usually given to players with loads of experience, but Chamberlain was so good that giving the award to anyone else would have been outrageous!
Although this display of immense talent happened 50 years ago, we haven’t had a rookie play as good as Wilt Chamberlain since. There may never be a better rookie!
Oscar Robertson – 1960 to 1961
Oscar Robertson almost did the impossible. He came so close to achieving a feat that no rookie should be about to reach, and yet his outstanding skills led him so close to his unforeseen goal. What are we talking about? Oscar Robertson almost achieved a triple-double.
This means that Robertson also basketed 10 points, helped with 10 assists, and earned 10 rebounds in one game. In the end, his average was 30.5 points, 9.7 assists, and 10.1 rebounds per game.
Being so close to that amazing stretch, of course, earned this champ the rookie of the Year Award. All of these amazing stats tell you that whoever picked Robertson in the draft would have been ecstatic. The Royals improved from a shocking 19 – 56 in the previous year to 33 – 46 with Robertson on board.
The Royals picked Robertson 1st in the draft, and this gamble paid off!
Walt Bellamy – 1961 to 1962
Walt Bellamy’s averages were like something out of a movie. If you were to say that a rookie ended their season with 31.6 points per game and 19 rebounds per game, then you would tell them it was impossible. Well, from that astonishing season in 1961, Bellamy proved that even a fresh-faced player could bounce with the top dogs.
Bellamy played for the Chicago Packers then, and it was his influence that pushed the team higher up the leaderboards. Sure the Packers didn’t end up doing well, but if you isolate Bellamy from the pack, you will have seen a star.
The only person to score more points per game in their rookie season was Wilt Chamberlain. This is still true today! The fresh talent 50 years ago is something we still aim to find, but as the years go on, some of us feel that we may not reach these extraordinary heights again!
Lew Alcindor – 1969 to 1970
Most of us know Lew Alcindor as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The two names represent the same person. Abdul-Jabbar changed his name to become closer to his Islamic faith, but that’s not why we have him on our list. If you were to search through the programs in hopes of finding Abdul-Jabbar’s rookie season, you wouldn’t find anything. Instead, you should be looking for Lew Alcindor.
During his rookie season, Abdul-Jabbar ranked second in the NBA out of everyone, not just the rookies. This was because of his fantastic per-game stats. They averaged out at 28.8 points per game. When it came to his rebounds, Kareem came third out of everyone. With 14.5 per game, he was hot on the professional’s heels.
With Kareem on board, the Milwaukee Bucks created a 29 game turnaround! His game was outstanding, and it’s what led to 3rd place in the MVP votes.
Elgin Baylor – 1958 to 1959
Elgin Baylor was the sole reason that the Los Angeles Lakers bounced from last place in their previous season to the NBA Finals. They didn’t win the season, but the growth from last to finalist was an unimaginable feat of fantastic talent.
Baylor averaged 15 rebounds per game and 24.9 points per game. These stats alone tell you he was a gold nugget of a find, but along with his impressive assists and inspiring teamwork, Baylor was one of the finest players the game had ever seen!
