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| SEASON | PLAYER | PRO TEAM | SCHOOL | POSITION |
| 2017 | Markelle Fultz | Philadelphia 76ers | Washington | PG |
| 2016 | Ben Simmons | Philadelphia 76ers | LSU | PF |
| 2015 | Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | Kentucky | C |
| 2014 | Andrew Wiggins | Cleveland Cavaliers | Kansas | SG |
| 2013 | Anthony Bennett | Cleveland Cavaliers | UNLV | PF |
| 2012 | Anthony Davis | New Orleans Hornets | Kentucky | PF |
| 2011 | Kyrie Irving | Cleveland Cavaliers | Duke | PG |
| 2010 | John Wall | Washington Wizards | Kentucky | PG |
| 2009 | Blake Griffin | Los Angeles Clippers | Oklahoma | C |
| 2008 | Derrick Rose | Chicago Bulls | Memphis | G |
| 2007 | Greg Oden | Portland Trail Blazers | Ohio St | C |
| 2006 | Andrea Bargnani | Toronto Raptors | Italy | F |
| 2005 | Andrew Bogut | Milwaukee Bucks | Utah | C |
| 2004 | Dwight Howard | Orlando Magic | SW Atlanta Christian | F |
| 2003 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers | St Mary-St Vincent-OH | G |
| 2002 | Yao Ming | Houston Rockets | Shanghai, China | C |
| 2001 | Kwame Brown | Washington Wizards | Glynn Academy-GA | F-C |
| 2000 | Kenyon Martin | New Jersey Nets | Cincinnati | F |
| 1999 | Elton Brand | Chicago Bulls | Duke | F |
| 1998 | Michael Olowokandi | Los Angeles Clippers | Pacific | C |
| 1997 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | Wake Forest | F-C |
| 1996 | Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers | Georgetown | G |
| 1995 | Joe Smith | Golden State Warriors | Maryland | F |
| 1994 | Glenn Robinson | Milwaukee Bucks | Purdue | F |
| 1993 | Chris Webber | Orlando Magic | Michigan | F |
| 1992 | Shaquille O'Neal | Orlando Magic | LSU | C |
| 1991 | Larry Johnson | Charlotte Hornets | UNLV | F |
| 1990 | Derrick Coleman | New Jersey Nets | Syracuse | F |
| 1989 | Pervis Ellison | Sacramento Kings | Louisville | C |
| 1988 | Danny Manning | Los Angeles Clippers | Kansas | F |
| 1987 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | Navy | C |
| 1986 | Brad Daugherty | Cleveland Cavaliers | North Carolina | C |
| 1985 | Patrick Ewing | New York Knicks | Georgetown | C |
| 1984 | Akeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets | Houston | C |
| 1983 | Ralph Sampson | Houston Rockets | Virginia | C |
| 1982 | James Worthy | Los Angeles Lakers | North Carolina | F |
| 1981 | Mark Aguirre | Dallas Mavericks | DePaul | F |
| 1980 | Joe Barry Carroll | Golden State Warriors | Purdue | C |
| 1979 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | Michigan St | G |
| 1978 | Mychal Thompson | Portland Trail Blazers | Minnesota | C |
| 1977 | Kent Benson | Milwaukee Bucks | Indiana | C |
| 1976 | John Lucas | Houston Rockets | Maryland | G |
| 1975 | David Thompson | Atlanta Hawks | North Carolina St | G |
| 1974 | Bill Walton | Portland Trail Blazers | UCLA | C |
| 1973 | Doug Collins | Philadelphia 76ers | Illinois St | G |
| 1972 | Larue Martin | Portland Trail Blazers | Loyola-IL | C |
| 1971 | Austin Carr | Cleveland Cavaliers | Notre Dame | G |
| 1970 | Bob Lanier | Detroit Pistons | St Bonaventure | C |
| 1969 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks | UCLA | C |
| 1968 | Elvin Hayes | Houston Rockets | Houston | F |
| 1967 | Jimmy Walker | Detroit Pistons | Providence | G |
| 1966 | Cazzie Russell | New York Knicks | Michigan | F |