Being named an All-Star in the NBA is quite an achievement for any player who has made it to the league. It places you in a certain category of players who have played throughout history who have played in a way that affected the game in a positive light. So much so, that they needed to be recognized by the league for it.
The ASG, while it is a showcase game with very minimal defense being played throughout its duration, is one that is comprised of the best of the best within the league. Reaching such a point in your career takes quite a bit of hard work and dedication to your craft.
There are, however, certain anomalous players who have entered the NBA and impacted so quickly that they needed to be placed in the All-Star Game in just their rookie season. There are quite a few surprises on this list both in terms of who made it there and those who didn’t.
Also read: How Many Times Has LeBron James Won the All-Star Game?
All-Stars who made the ASG their rookie year
Almost half of the list is comprised of players prior to the NBA/ABA merger. This is due to the fact that there is far more talent in the league today than there was 70 years ago. In fact, the 21stSt century has only seen two rookies make the showcase game in their rookie years.
The following is the list of 45 total players who took to the All-Star Game in their freshman campaign in the NBA:
- Bob Cousy (Boston Celtics, 1951)
- Larry Foust (Fort Wayne Pistons, 1951)
- Paul Arizin (Philadelphia Warriors, 1951)
- Jack Molinas (Fort Wayne Pistons, 1954)
- Don Sunderlage (Milwaukee Hawks, 1954)
- Ray Felix (Baltimore Bullets, 1954)
- Bob Pettit (Milwaukee Hawks, 1955)
- Frank Selvy (Baltimore Bullets, 1955)
- Maurice Stokes (Rochester Royals, 1956)
- Tom Heinsohn (Boston Celtics, 1957)
- Elgin Baylor (Minneapolis Lakers, 1959)
- Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors, 1960)
- Jerry West (Los Angeles Lakers, 1961)
- Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati Royals, 1961)
- Walt Bellamy (Chicago Packers, 1962)
- Terry Dischinger (Chicago Zephyrs, 1963)
- Jerry Lucas (Cincinnati Royals, 1964)
- Luke Jackson (Philadelphia 76ers, 1965)
- Willis Reed (New York Knicks, 1965)
- Rick Barry (San Francisco Warriors, 1966)
- Wes Unseld (Baltimore Bullets, 1969)
- Elvin Hayes (San Diego Rockets, 1969)
- Lew Alcindor/ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Milwaukee Bucks, 1970)
- Geoff Petrie (Portland Trailblazers, 1971)
- John Johnson (Cleveland Cavaliers, 1971)
- Sidney Wicks (Portland Trailblazers, 1972)
- Alvan Adams (Phoenix Suns, 1976)
- Walter Davis (Phoenix Suns, 1976)
- Larry Bird (Boston Celtics, 1980)
- Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers, 1980)
- Bill Cartwright (New York Knicks, 1980)
- Kelly Tripucka (Detroit Pistons, 1982)
- Isaiah Thomas (Detroit Pistons, 1982)
- Buck Williams (New Jersey Nets, 1982)
- Ralph Sampson (Houston Rockets, 1984)
- Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls, 1985)
- Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston Rockets, 1985)
- Patrick Ewing (New York Knicks, 1986)
- David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs, 1990)
- Dikembe Mutombo (Denver Nuggets, 1992)
- Shaquille O’Neal (Orlando Magic, 1993)
- Grant Hill (Detroit Pistons, 1995)
- Tim Duncan (San Antonio Spurs, 1998)
- Yao Ming (Houston Rockets, 2003)
- Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers, 2011)
Also read: Most NBA All-Star Selections: Does LeBron James Have The Most All-Star Selections In NBA History?