The basketball world has been gifted with an unbelievable amount of talent in the 21st century. It’s all evident through the game getting faster every year, the players’ athleticism getting crazier, and outside shooting becoming more prevalent than ever.

Much of the excitement has come from the new breed of youngsters that are coming in each season. The rookies, who, while getting hazed by the veterans, are honing their skills to assure that the future of the game is in great hands.

We’ve witnessed a host of incredible rookie performances that have graced our screens since the 2000s. There was Pau Gasol for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2001-02, a skilled big man with mid-range and post moves for days, Kevin Durant for the Seattle Supersonics (now OKC Thunder) in 2007-08, a long-armed, 6’10 teenager that could score anywhere, and Derrick Rose for the Chicago Bulls in 2008-09, an explosive point guard that could jump out of the building.

The best part? Those three rookie seasons are just the honourable mentions. Let’s get to the list.

#6 – Damian Lillard (2012-13, Portland Trail Blazers)

Despite a strong college career and senior season that had him putting up 24.5 PPG, Damian Lillard was mostly overlooked heading into the 2012 NBA Draft. Aside from being a senior, which isn’t valued much these days, he was also from Weber State, a virtually unknown school from the unheralded Big Sky Conference. It’s a reason why mock drafts only placed him between the fifth and tenth picks. 

The Blazers hit the jackpot by taking him with the sixth overall pick, though, because Dame squashed the negative reviews right away. He lit up the league like no one saw coming. The superstar aura was just beaming and he went on to finish 12th in scoring (19 PPG), 16th in assists (6.5 APG), and eighth in threes (2.3) per game. The league’s pace wasn’t as fast as it is today, so a rookie piling up such numbers was very impressive.

#5 – Ben Simmons (2017-18, Philadelphia 76ers)

Ben Simmons was the first overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft but missed the entire season due to a fractured right foot, an injury he suffered during training camp. With doubts that his playing style would be altered for the worse, he busted right out of the gates in 2017-18.

Through head coach Brett Brown’s trust and an exciting tandem with another youngster, Joel Embiid, Simmons filled up the stat sheet and became one of the league’s best playmakers – the intrigue and impact was turned up a notch too as he is a 6’10 point guard that can dish no-look passes and lead fastbreaks like a gazelle. He ended the regular season with 12 triple-doubles and an average of 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 54.5% shooting.

As a nice icing to a great rookie campaign, Simmons co-lead the Sixers’ 16-game winning streak at the tail end of the regular season. It solidified the team’s return to the playoffs and officially culminated the team’s five-year re-building process.

#4 – Tyreke Evans (2009-10, Sacramento Kings)

The 2009 rookie class had a great group of point guards – Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings, Jonny Flynn, Darren Collison, Jrue Holiday, Ty Lawson, and Roddy Beuabois – and all displayed their own impact right away.

No one, however, was quite like Tyreke Evans. When compared to all those guys above, there’s a lot to like about how he thrived in his situation too. As a 20-year-old, he was the absolute lifeblood of the hapless 2009-10 Sacramento Kings, by far the best and most entertaining player on the team, and easily one of the ‘must-see’ ballers in that season.

Evans had a relentless instinct to attack the basket and showcased the moxie and assertiveness you’d want in a young player. By season’s end, he became just the fourth rookie in NBA history to average 20+ points, 5+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in a season.

#3 – Luka Doncic (2018-19, Dallas Mavericks)

International prospects have a bad rep because of all the countless foreign busts throughout the years, but it was clear that Luka Doncic had something special. While in the Euroleague, he wasn’t just a good young player; he was the best player on the floor every time, and he happened to be a fresh-faced teenager – and you know how NBA scouts go head over heels for young guns.

The scouts weren’t wrong, and might’ve even undersold him. Luka is a once-in-a-decade talent, a kid teams will understandably tank for because he’s a Swiss army knife on offense whose skillset is developed way beyond his years.

The 19-year-old Slovenian was able break the opposition through his great basketball IQ, smooth offensive arsenal, and clutch outside shooting. He swept the Rookie of the Month award in the Western Conference en route to racking up eight triple-doubles and dropping 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game in the regular season. He also became the fifth rookie to have a 20-5-5 season – and is tearing the league up in his sophomore year.

#2 – Blake Griffin (2010-11, LA Clippers)

Blake Griffin was in the same boat as Ben Simmons. He was a highly touted prospect and a consensus first overall pick in his respective draft (2009), and like Simmons, he suffered a season-ending injury before playing a single game, which pushed back his debut for a year.

When he finally took the hardwood, Griffin captivated fans everywhere by wreaking havoc in the paint and hammering down a flurry of facial dunks and alley-oops. He then string together a rookie record 27 straight double-doubles and rightfully earned a spot in the West’s All-Star squad – joining Yao Ming as the only rookies in the last 22 years to make the selection in their first year.

Griffin took home all of the West Rookie of the Month award and tallied a monstrous 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game on the season.

#1 – LeBron James (2003-04, Cleveland Cavaliers)

The King is topping my list. He was a high schooler that calmly took on an insane pressure thrown into his 18-year-old shoulders – no prospect had that level of hype before or since. Zion Williamson’s hype is pretty close but it’s arguably a tad lower.

Being a force of nature and a basketball savant that has a superbly advanced court vision, James lived up to the billing and more. It was evident with how the Cavaliers ditched their young, high-potential players Ricky Davis and Darius Miles before the trade deadline so they could build through James’s strengths and allow him to shine further.

Post-Davis and Miles, the Cavs went 20-19 with LeBron as the team’s co-headliner (alongside Carlos Boozer). Had they handed the keys much earlier, they might’ve even reached the playoffs.

On March 28, 2004, only aged 19 years and 88 days, The King became the youngest player to score 40 or more points in a single game when he burned the New Jersey Nets for 41 points and 13 assists in a 107-104 win.

James averaged 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists on the season and was only the third rookie to be in that hallowed 20-5-5 club. He also ran past every East newbie as he won all the conference’s Rookie of the Month awards. It’s amazing that he continues to produce at an elite level for 17 years.