Being an All-Star is the biggest nod that a basketball player can get during an ongoing/ regular season. The All-Star game is reserved for the best of the best, with teams often only managing to send a single player to the game.
Advertisement
But in rare cases, NBA rookies manage to even make it into the prestigious game. Though the NBA All-Stars are voted in, managing to do so as a rookie is still impressive. The last time this rare incident happened was back in 2011 when Blake Griffin made the game as a reserve.
As the league has gotten more and more competitive, the bar for entry into the All-Star game has only gone up. Looking back, among all the rookie All-Stars, these five iconic players stand head and shoulders above the rest.
Jerry West
Mr. Logo himself is the first pick, as he made the 1961 All-Star game with the Minneapolis Lakers. West averaged 17.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 79 games.
West was an integral part of the Laker’s success that season, as he was already the second scoring option on the team after Elgin Baylor. The Lakers would eventually fall to St.Louis.
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson is one of the greatest players to ever wear the Purple and Gold. Johnson may have been the greatest rookie ever, as he won a Championship with the Lakers in his rookie year. Alongside Kareem Abdul Jabbar, a young Magic averaged 18 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 7.3 assists, while playing 77 games that season.
Not only was Magic voted into the All-Star game, but became one of the youngest players to become an All-Star starter back in the ’70s. Magic and his college/NBA rival Larry Bird would battle it out for the coming years, retiring with five championships in the process.
Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon may be the best overseas basketball player the sport has ever seen. Olajuwon, who was selected 1st overall in the 1984 NBA draft, was picked by the Houston Rockets, where he would go on to win 2 championships for the franchise.
Olajuwon would play well in his first season, averaging 20.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks in 82 appearances. He would instantly become the second option behind Ralph Sampson, before completely taking over as the primary scorer and rebounder for the team.
Hakeem, the first non-American player to make the All-Star game, missed out on his Rookie Of The Year to Michael Jordan.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal is possibly the most dominant player the league has ever seen. O’Neal was a force to deal with from the get, as he would win Rookie Of The Year (1992) and also appeared in the All-Star game that year.
During his rookie season, Shaq averaged 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks in 81 appearances. These numbers are elite regardless, but unfortunately for the Magic, O’Neal couldn’t drag the franchise to the playoffs.
That being said, Shaq might just be one of the greatest Magic players ever, even though he only spent 4 years with the team, also having his jersey retired by Orlando.
Tim Duncan
The San Antonio Spurs dominated in an era where multiple super teams came and went. But without Tim Duncan, none of the five championships would ever be possible for the Spurs.
Duncan went first overall in the 1997 draft, becoming an instant impact from the get-go. The Big Fundamental looked NBA-ready even as a rookie, averaging 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while playing 82 games.
This performance from Duncan led to him making his first All-Star game, while also taking home Rookie Of The Year honors. The Spurs would go on to win their first Championship with Duncan at its helm just a year after.
