Fansided

5 greatest rookie seasons in NBA history

By Rich Kraetsch

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 17, 1973: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, center, of the Milwaukee Bucks reaches high over Willis Reed #19 of the New York Knicks to score 2 points of his total of 24 points during an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden on November 17, 1973 on New York. Under the basket with Abdul-Jabbar and Willis Reed is Curtis Perry of the Bucks, and Phil Jackson (#18) of the Knicks. Walt Frazier, Point Guard of the Knicks, observes the action from the left of the photograph. The New York Knicks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks by the score of 100 to 93. (Photo by Ross Lewis/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 17, 1973: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, center, of the Milwaukee Bucks reaches high over Willis Reed #19 of the New York Knicks to score 2 points of his total of 24 points during an NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks in Madison Square Garden on November 17, 1973 on New York. Under the basket with Abdul-Jabbar and Willis Reed is Curtis Perry of the Bucks, and Phil Jackson (#18) of the Knicks. Walt Frazier, Point Guard of the Knicks, observes the action from the left of the photograph. The New York Knicks defeated the Milwaukee Bucks by the score of 100 to 93. (Photo by Ross Lewis/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images
Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images /

1. Wilt Chamberlain

Simply put, there will never be a rookie season as good as Wilt Chamberlain’s in 1959-60. Chamberlain’s scoring, rebounding and impact on the league was and still is unprecedented. Great rookies have come and gone since Chamberlain debuted for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959, but nobody has or will ever touch what he did in his rookie year.

Let’s look at the numbers for starters: 37.6 points per game, not just a new rookie record but a new NBA record. Then there’s the 27.0 rebounds per game, another new NBA record. Chamberlain led the NBA in minutes played, field goals, field goal attempts, free throw attempts, rebounds, steals, Player Efficiency Rating and win shares.

Wilt didn’t just have a great rookie season, he had one of the greatest NBA seasons ever… right out of the gate. Chamberlain broke the NBA all-time regular-season scoring record in just 56 games. This was one of eight records Wilt demolished that year. Chamberlain also became the first NBA player ever named MVP and Rookie of the Year in the same season.

All Wilt Chamberlain failed to do in his rookie season was beat Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics — an all-too-familiar hurdle for Chamberlain over the remainder of his career.

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