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After earning 113 out of a possible 116 votes, San Antonio Spurs power forward Tim Duncan was named the 1997-98 NBA Rookie of Year on April 27, 1998.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 1997 NBA Draft averaged 21.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.5 blocked shots while shooting 54.9% from the field in 39.1 minutes per game. In addition to being crowned the Rookie of the Year, Duncan also became an All-Star and was named to the All-NBA First Team.
He is one of only 45 players in history to make the All-Star game as a rookie.
Duncan, who was just named a Hall of Fame inductee earlier this month, was paired up early next to David Robinson to form one of the best defensive frontcourts in the NBA. He proved to have poise rarely seen in rookie players and helped the Spurs to the playoffs in his first season.
Duncan made the NBA Playoffs in each of his 19 seasons with the Spurs.
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