The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottlieb Trophy, named after the former Philadelphia Warriors head coach. Since the 2022–23 NBA season, winners receive the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy, named after the former Rookie of the Year winner.
Arvydas Romas Sabonis is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player and businessman. Sabonis won the Euroscar six times and the Mr. Europa Award twice. He played in a variety of leagues, including the Spanish ACB League, and spent seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Playing the center position, Sabonis won a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics, in South Korea, for the Soviet Union, and later earned bronze medals at the 1992 Olympic Games and 1996 Olympic Games representing Lithuania. He retired from professional basketball in 2005. Sabonis was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the 1986 NBA draft, but he did not play his first NBA game until 1995, at the age of 30.
The NBA draft is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) annual event, dating back to 1947, in which the teams in the league can draft players who declare for the draft and that are eligible to join their organization. The current NBA consists of 30 teams, and all thirty teams have at least one draft pick throughout the two draft rounds. Historically, the vast majority of players drafted into the NBA are college basketball players.
Gregory Carlton Anthony is an American former professional basketball player who is a television analyst for NBA TV and Turner Sports. He played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Anthony also contributes to Yahoo! Sports as a college basketball analyst and serves as a co-host/analyst on SiriusXM NBA Radio. His son, Cole Anthony, plays for the Orlando Magic.
Derrick Demetrius Coleman is an American former professional basketball player. Coleman attended Syracuse University and was selected first overall in the 1990 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets.
Wesley Lavon Person is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After his playing career, Person became a women's basketball assistant coach and then the head men's basketball coach at Enterprise-Ozark Community College. He was fired from the latter position in 2010.
Antonio Robert Daniels is an American former professional basketball player who played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently the television color analyst for the New Orleans Pelicans on Bally Sports New Orleans and co-host/analyst on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Torraye L. Braggs is an American professional basketball player. During his pro club career, Braggs played in the NBA, and also in seventeen other countries' national domestic leagues, including: Spain, Venezuela, Greece, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, Israel, Russia, South Korea, China, Latvia, Mexico, Jordan, Iran, Uruguay, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia.
Alfred "Butch" Beard Jr. is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He was the starting point guard with the 1975 NBA champion Golden State Warriors.
Anthony Goldwire is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He played in the NBA, and other leagues. Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, he played college basketball for the University of Houston, and was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in the 2nd round, of the 1994 NBA draft.
Jamie Lovell Watson is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and other leagues.
Osie Leon Wood III, is an American former professional basketball player. A college All-American, he was a first round NBA draft pick, and both an Olympic and Pan-Am Games gold-medalist. He subsequently has had a career as an NBA referee.
Reginald Dwayne Slater is an American former professional basketball player born in Houston, Texas. He played the power forward position and played college basketball at the University of Wyoming. His son Rashawn Slater was a first round draft choice by the Los Angeles Chargers. Reggie married Katie Slater. Reggie has four kids, Aliyah Slater, Reginald Slater Jr. (RJ), Rashawn Slater, and Rylan Slater. RJ played football for the Air Force Academy in 2014–2018.
Richard Petruška is a Slovak-Italian former professional basketball player and coach. He was born in Levice, Czechoslovakia. At a height of 6'10" tall, and a weight of 260 lbs., he played at the power forward and center positions.
Gaylon Harrel Nickerson is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and other leagues. Born in Osceola, Arkansas, he attended Wichita State University, Butler Community College, Kansas State University, and Northwestern Oklahoma State University.
The Florida State Seminoles men's basketball team represents Florida State University in the intercollegiate sport of basketball. The Seminoles compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
The 1995 NBA expansion draft was the tenth expansion draft in the history of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 24, 1995, so that the newly founded Toronto Raptors and Vancouver Grizzlies could acquire players for the upcoming 1995–96 season. Toronto was awarded an expansion team on September 30, 1993, while Vancouver was awarded the league's 29th franchise on April 27, 1994. They were the first NBA teams based in Canada since the 1946–47 season Toronto Huskies.
The Washington Huskies men's basketball team represents the University of Washington in NCAA Division I college basketball competing in the Big Ten Conference. Their home games are played at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, located in Seattle, and they are currently led by head coach Danny Sprinkle.
Brett Roberts is an American former basketball player best remembered for leading NCAA Division I in scoring as a senior in 1991–92 and then getting selected by the Sacramento Kings in that year's NBA draft, although he ultimately never played a game in the league. Roberts grew up in Portsmouth, Ohio and attended South Webster High School before moving on to play for Morehead State University's basketball team.
