Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat have carved out a legacy of producing some of the finest players the league has ever seen. With the likes of Magic Johnson, Dwyane Wade, and Kobe Bryant coming up through the draft, both teams have been graced with some immensely talented players in the past. Still, neither has been able to produce a Rookie of the Year award winner.
The ROTY award is typically given to the most impressive young player from that year’s draft class. While this award undoubtedly signifies how promising the player has been, it is often also reflects a franchise’s ability to cultivate and nurture such talent.
Most NBA teams throughout history have had success with producing ROTY candidates. In this regard, the Golden State Warriors (6) and the Los Angeles Clippers (5) are in a league of their own, having produced the most ROTY award winners in NBA history.
On the other end of the spectrum, however, are teams like the Lakers and the Heat, who have routinely come up short in such endeavors. Considering that these two franchises are not alone, we take a closer look at the five NBA teams that have failed to produce an ROTY winner.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most storied franchises in the NBA, having been a part of the league since its inception. Despite their deep-rooted connection with the organization, the Lakers haven’t necessarily enjoyed success in producing an award-winning rookie.
While intriguing, the award specifications become increasingly important in this scenario.
In 1980, Boston Celtics forward Larry Bird was named Rookie of the Year, having averaged 21.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. Although impressive, the Lakers’ rookie, Magic Johnson, may have arguably been a better candidate.
Apart from averaging 18.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.5 assists per game in his rookie season, Johnson played a key role in leading the top-seeded Lakers (60-22) to the NBA Finals. With Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suffering an injury in Game 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers, Johnson played all five positions and led the Lakers to an NBA title, winning Finals MVP in the process.
Johnson’s achievement as a rookie catapulted him to legendary status. However, considering that ROTY, like most All-NBA awards, is a regular-season accolade, losing to Bird, who won 63 first-place votes, may have been justified.
In 1983, only three years after Johnson’s noteworthy campaign, Lakers rookie James Worthy also came very close to winning the ROTY award. With averages of 13.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, Worthy asserted him as a solid candidate.
Unfortunately, he was overshadowed by Terry Cummings that season. With averages of 23.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, Cummings was far and away the better pick.
Jerry West was another iconic Lakers player to have come up short in pursuit of the ROTY award. Despite a terrific season, with averages of 17.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, West famously missed out on the award.
Instead, Oscar Robertson was named the winner. After averaging 30.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and a league-leading 9.7 assists per game, Robertson was in a league of his own.
Surprisingly enough, the Lakers have technically produced a ROTY winner. But it is also worth noting that it was before the franchise relocated to Los Angeles.
In 1958, the Minneapolis Lakers drafted Elgin Baylor. After a season of averaging 24.9 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, Baylor was named ROTY in 1959.
It was only after his sophomore season that the franchise moved to the West Coast. All things considered, he remains the only player in Lakers history to have won the award.
Miami Heat
Unlike the Lakers, the Miami Heat are a relatively young team, having joined the league only in the 1988-89 season. While the team has drafted some talented players during this period, none have really inspired as much confidence as a young talent as Dwyane Wade.
Wade was part of the iconic 2003 draft class that featured the likes of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony. With heavy-hitters across the board, Wade was bound to face some stiff competition for the ROTY award.
Still, the guard’s rookie campaign was nothing short of impressive. With averages of 16.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, Wade asserted himself as one of the best and one of the most clutch players on his team.
Despite leading the Heat to the second-round of the playoffs, Wade’s performance in the regular season paled in comparison to LeBron James. Having averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game in his rookie season, James was head and shoulders above the others in his class.
For all his brilliance, Wade still finished third in the ROTY race, placing behind James and Anthony. Sadly, with all the votes being distributed between James and Anthony, Wade didn’t receive any first-place votes.
Atlanta Hawks
While the Atlanta Hawks don’t necessarily boast the kind of title success enjoyed by the Lakers and the Heat, the Hawks have been home to some incredibly talented players. From the likes of Dominique Wilkins (acquired via trade with the Jazz) and Al Horford to more recent stars like Trae Young, Atlanta has produced some gifted young rookies.
While Wilkins and Horford stand out, Trae Young was the closest to winning the ROTY award among the three. With averages of 19.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game, Young immediately established himself as one of the premier floor generals in the league.
Although Atlanta didn’t enjoy much success that season, finishing with a 29-53 record, Young’s display instilled some optimism in his candidacy for the ROTY award. Unfortunately, Young came up short against the Slovenian wonder kid, Luka Doncic, who was making waves across the NBA with his dazzling play.
In his rookie season, Doncic averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game. While he wasn’t the unanimous pick to win the award, considering that he won 98 of the possible 100 first-place votes, he was considered the favorite for obvious reasons.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are an intriguing mention on this list. Before the modern era, the Nuggets weren’t necessarily an iconic NBA team like the Lakers and the Celtics. Still, this isn’t to say that the franchise hasn’t been graced by talented players.
The Nuggets have featured stars such as Alex English and Carmelo Anthony in the past. However, none truly match up to what Nikola Jokic has achieved in today’s game.
Historically, Anthony may have been the closest to winning the ROTY award, coming in second only to LeBron James. However, Nikola Jokic’s case may prove to be far more impressive.
Unlike Anthony, Jokic was drafted with the 41st overall pick in the NBA draft. Despite this, the Serbian big man stunned audiences with his unique skill set, averaging 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game while playing as a backup to Jusuf Nurkic.
While impressive, Jokic eventually finished third in voting, finishing behind Kristaps Porzingis (2nd) and Karl-Anthony Towns (1st).
According to the vote distribution, Towns was unanimously voted the ROTY, and with averages of 18.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game, it was justified. Still, considering how their careers have panned out, it can be argued that Jokic may have had a better chance if he had been played as a primary option.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are similar to the Lakers in some regard. When thinking about the Thunder’s history as a franchise, their origins are traced back to the Seattle SuperSonics, which produced legends like Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp.
As the Thunder, the franchise hasn’t produced an ROTY winner. However, Kevin Durant, one of the team’s all-time best players, was named the ROTY in 2008 while the team was still in Seattle.
With averages of 20.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game, Durant put the league on notice. However, shortly after his rookie season, the SuperSonics moved to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder.
Thus, OKC, on a technicality, hasn’t produced an ROTY winner. Still, players like Russell Westbrook and Jalen Williams came close.
With averages of 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in his rookie campaign, Westbrook finished fourth in the ROTY race. While his two first-place votes were impressive, Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose walked away with the award, securing a massive 111 votes.
Meanwhile, Williams came even closer, finishing in second after averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. However, Paolo Banchero‘s 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, along with his 98 first-place votes, ensured that the margin was wide.
Unlike some of the other teams on this list, the Thunder have enjoyed significant success in developing young talent. Having won the NBA title with one of the youngest rosters in the NBA, OKC truly sets itself apart.
