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The NBA Rookie of the Year title is always highly sought-after in each campaign and is often a very close race. In recent years, we had Donovan Mitchell squaring up against Ben Simmons and LaMelo Ball, narrowly holding off Anthony Edwards for the coveted award.
However, such is the demand of the modern NBA and style of play that rookie campaigns pale in comparison to the greatest debut seasons by stars in the league's history.
On that note, here's a look at the five best rookie campaigns in NBA history and how two such players also won the MVP award in the same year.
#5 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
It's difficult to imagine that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would come into this list at fifth, as arguably any of the entrants on this list could have finished top.
Jabbar had a stunning rookie campaign after entering the NBA as the No.1 overall pick for the Milwaukee Bucks. He swiftly helped them to their first NBA title in 1971 and a Finals appearance three years later.
Before winning his first NBA title, Jabbar had put his name on the map in his first league campaign. He averaged 28.8 points and 14.5 rebounds per game and scored 51.8% of field-goal attempts.
Most importantly for the Bucks, he led them to a 55-27 record, a remarkable turnaround from their previous season's losing campaign. In the NBA playoffs, he averaged 35 points and 16.8 rebounds but could not take the Bucks to the Finals, though.
#4 Oscar Robertson
Long before Russell Westbrook joined the NBA, Oscar Robertson was the original Mr. Triple-double. Robertson, an 11-time All-NBA team selection and 12-time All-Star, was the No.1 overall pick in 1960 by the Cincinnati Royals and went on to lead the league in assists seven times during his 14-year career.
In his rookie NBA season, Robertson averaged over 30 points, 10.1 rebounds and 9.7 assists per game, finishing just 40 assists shy of a triple-double every night. He would, however, achieve the feat just a year later.
Despite his brilliance, Robertson's exploits did not earn him an NBA MVP trophy until the 1963-64 season, as he played in an era that had Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor.
#3 Wes Unseld
Almost a decade after Wilt Chamberlain's historic rookie NBA season, Wes Unseld became the second player in league history to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP awards in their debut campaign. Unseld came into the NBA as the second overall pick and arguably had the best year of his career in the 1968-69 season, helping the Baltimore Bullets register a division-topping 57-25 record.
Unfortunately, the Bullets crashed out of the playoffs in the first round after being swept by the New York Knicks. However, that cannot detract from what was an immense campaign from the young center.
Unseld ended the season with an average of 13.8 points and 18.2 rebounds per game while shooting at 47% from the field. He would go on to play his entire career with the same franchise, helping them to four NBA Finals appearances in the 1970s and one championship in 1978.
#2 Magic Johnson
Drafted as the No.1 overall pick in 1979 by the LA Lakers, it didn't take long for Magic Johnson to make his impact in the NBA. He immediately settled into the team's backcourt and was not intimidated by stars such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jamaal Wilkes or Norm Nixon.
In his debut season, Johnson played 77 games and averaged 18 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.4 steals. He shot the ball at 53% from the field and over 80% from the line.
What makes Johnson's rookie season stand out from others on this list is his superior exploits in the playoffs.
He improved his output across the floor in points, assists and rebounds and grabbed five triple-doubles as the Lakers lifted their first championship in eight years. In the NBA Finals' series-deciding game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Johnson put up an incredible 42 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
The point guard, a 12-time All-Star, would go on to become the cornerstone of one of the greatest teams in league history.
#1 Wilt Chamberlain
There are certainly a lot of lists in NBA history that Wilt Chamberlain topped throughout his career due to his exploits, including this one.
Before he won his two NBA championships, though, Chamberlain was tearing up the league and is one of only two players to have won both the Rookie of the Year and league MVP awards in the same season, the other being Unseld.
In the 1959-60 NBA campaign, Chamberlain played for the Philadelphia Warriors as part of a territorial draft format. He averaged an incredible 37.6 points and 27 rebounds during the campaign - leading the NBA in both stats - while shooting at 46% from the field. Although the Warriors would be halted one round short of the NBA finals in that season's playoffs, Chamberlain helped turn them into a winning franchise once again.
It's difficult to imagine \any rookie would ever have a season quite like Wilt Chamberlain's, certainly not with the current style of play in the NBA.
Guess the Lakers players!
