NBA Rookie of the Year Winners
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The NBA Rookie of the Year is awarded each season to the best first-year player in the league, and the most recent winner is Cooper Flagg, who took the 2025-26 award as a Dallas Maverick. It is voted for by a media panel, and because a player only has one rookie season, no one can ever win it twice.
That single-win rule is what makes the winners list read like a timeline of the league’s arrivals: every name is a debut, and the roll call runs from Wilt Chamberlain through Michael Jordan and LeBron James to today’s rookies. Here are the recent winners, the standout names in the award’s history, and how the vote actually works.
Recent NBA Rookie of the Year winners
The table lists the last eight winners. The award year matches the season it was won.
| Season | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Cooper Flagg | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2024-25 | Stephon Castle | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2023-24 | Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2022-23 | Paolo Banchero | Orlando Magic |
| 2021-22 | Scottie Barnes | Toronto Raptors |
| 2020-21 | LaMelo Ball | Charlotte Hornets |
| 2019-20 | Ja Morant | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 2018-19 | Luka Dončić | Dallas Mavericks |
San Antonio produced back-to-back winners in Wembanyama and Castle, the kind of consecutive haul that signals a franchise stocking up on young talent.
The most recent winner: Cooper Flagg
Flagg’s 2025-26 season stood out for its completeness. He became the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals, an all-around line that goes beyond the scoring numbers that usually dominate rookie voting. As the number-one overall pick, he arrived with heavy expectations and met them immediately.
His win continued a run of high-profile top picks claiming the award, with Wembanyama two years earlier setting an even higher bar as a unanimous choice.
The famous names on the list
The Rookie of the Year list doubles as a who’s-who of the sport. Michael Jordan won it in 1984-85, LeBron James in 2003-04, Allen Iverson in 1996-97, Tim Duncan in 1997-98, Shaquille O’Neal in 1992-93 and David Robinson in 1989-90. Winning the award has been a reliable early marker of a great career, even if it does not guarantee one.
It is not a perfect predictor. Some Rookies of the Year plateaued, and a handful of all-time greats, including players who lost close rookie votes, went on to eclipse the winners who beat them. The award captures the best debut season, which is a different thing from the best eventual career.
How the vote works
A global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters decides the winner. Each voter submits a ranked ballot, points are assigned by placement, and the highest total wins. A unanimous winner, meaning every first-place vote, is rare and reserved for seasons where the best rookie is beyond argument, as Wembanyama’s was in 2023-24.
For the biggest rookie scoring seasons ever, see the most points by a rookie in NBA history, and for where these careers are launched, our list of number-one draft picks in the NBA tracks the top selections year by year. Fancy building your own all-time roster and chasing a perfect record? Draft a lineup and try to run the table in 82-0. The Rookie of the Year is the one major award every player gets a single shot at, which is exactly why the list never repeats.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the most recent NBA Rookie of the Year?+
Cooper Flagg of the Dallas Mavericks won the 2025-26 NBA Rookie of the Year. He was the first rookie since Michael Jordan in 1984-85 to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists and steals, an all-around debut that made him a clear winner. He was the number-one overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Who votes for NBA Rookie of the Year?+
The award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from across the United States and Canada, plus a wider international media group. Voters submit a ranked ballot, points are awarded by placement, and the player with the most points wins. It is a media vote, not a fan or coaches' vote.
Can a player win NBA Rookie of the Year more than once?+
No. A player has only one rookie season, so the award can be won only once in a career. That is why the winners list never repeats a name, unlike scoring titles or MVP awards that the same player can claim across multiple seasons. Each year introduces a first-time winner.
What does a unanimous Rookie of the Year mean?+
A unanimous winner receives every first-place vote on the panel. Victor Wembanyama was unanimous in 2023-24, joining a short list that includes David Robinson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard and Karl-Anthony Towns. It signals there was no debate about the best rookie that season, which is rare given how the vote is spread.
Which Hall of Famers won Rookie of the Year?+
Many of the game's greats won it: Michael Jordan (1985), LeBron James (2004), Allen Iverson (1997), Tim Duncan (1998), Shaquille O'Neal (1993) and David Robinson (1990) all took the award. It is a strong predictor of a major career, though not a guarantee, as some winners faded while non-winners became superstars.
Does the Rookie of the Year usually go to the number-one draft pick?+
Often, but not always. Top overall picks like Wembanyama and Flagg won it, yet plenty of Rookies of the Year were drafted lower, and some number-one picks never won it at all. Draft position sets expectations, but the award rewards actual first-season production, which does not always follow draft order.
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