Who Was the NBA Rookie of the Year?
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The NBA Rookie of the Year is an annual award given to the top first-year player in the National Basketball Association. Keep reading to learn more about some of the past winners of this prestigious award.
Kyrie Irving
When you think of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the first player that probably comes to mind is LeBron James. However, it was Kyrie Irving who was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2012. Kyrie was born in Melbourne, Australia but moved to the United States when he was two years old. He started playing basketball when he was four years old and knew from a young age that he wanted to be a professional basketball player.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Kyrie Irving was born on March 23, 1992, in Melbourne, Australia. His mother, Elizabeth, is African-American, and his father, Drederick, is African-American and Native American. Kyrie’s maternal grandfather was Nigerian, and his maternal grandmother was African-American. Kyrie’s paternal grandfather was African-American, and his paternal grandmother was Native American.
Kyrie’s family moved to the United States when he was two years old. They settled in West Orange, New Jersey. Kyrie’s father played college basketball at Boston University. Kyrie began playing organized basketball when he was four years old.
Kyrie attended St. Patrick High School in Elizabeth, New Jersey. As a freshman, he averaged 21 points per game and led his team to the state championship game. As a sophomore, Kyrie averaged 28 points per game and led St. Patrick to the state championship game again. The following year, Kyrie transferred to Montclair Kimberley Academy in Montclair, New Jersey. He averaged 26 points per game as a junior and helped his team win the state title.
Duke University
Kyrie Andrew Irving (/ˈkaɪri/; born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. A six-time NBA All-Star, he won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016. He has also played for USA Basketball, winning a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and another gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2010-2011. He was drafted number one overall by the Los Angeles Clippers. Griffin was named an All-Star in his rookie season and he won the Slam Dunk Contest.
Los Angeles Clippers
Griffin was born on March 16,1989, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and was raised in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He is the son of Tommy Griffin, who worked designs aircraft parts, and Gail Griffin, who worked as a bank teller. Blake’s ancestry includes English, German, Irish, and Dutch. As a young child, he suffered from a disease that caused vomiting every time he ate wheat; he overcame the disease by avoiding wheat products for the rest of his life.
University of Oklahoma
Blake Griffin was born on March 16, 1989, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Griffin was drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2009 NBA draft. In his first season, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. Griffin was also selected to the All-Star team and won the Slam Dunk Contest in 2011. He has been selected to six straight All-Star teams.
Kemba Walker
Kemba Walker was the NBA Rookie of the Year. He is a point guard for the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets drafted him with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Walker was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2012.
Charlotte Hornets
Kemba Walker (born May 8, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was drafted by the Hornets with the ninth overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. Walker played college basketball for the Connecticut Huskies and was named NCAA basketball’s Most Outstanding Player after leading them to the 2011 NCAA championship.
University of Connecticut
In 2011, Kemba Walker led the Connecticut Huskies to an improbable NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. He was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, and in 2012, he was selected as the 9th overall pick by the Charlotte Bobcats in the NBA draft. As a rookie, Walker averaged 12.1 points per game and 5.4 assists per game, and was named the NBA Rookie of the Year.
