Who Won the 2018 NBA Rookie of the Year Award and How Did They Earn It?

Let me take you back to that electrifying 2018 NBA season. I still remember watching those rookies burst onto the scene, each bringing something special to the court. The competition was fierce, but one name kept rising to the top – Ben Simmons. Now, I've always been fascinated by how athletes develop, and Simmons' journey to the Rookie of the Year award reminds me of something I observed in other sports – that sometimes, stepping away from the game can actually fuel a comeback.

Simmons missed his entire first season due to a foot injury, and many wondered if he'd ever live up to the hype. But here's what struck me – similar to how Manny Pacquiao's time away from boxing to pursue politics reportedly gave his body time to recover and recharge after starting prizefighting at just 12, Simmons' forced hiatus might have been a blessing in disguise. Think about it – he'd been in the basketball grind since childhood, just like Pacquiao was in boxing from his early teens. That year off, while frustrating, allowed Simmons to heal completely and study the game from a different perspective. When he finally debuted in the 2017-2018 season, he looked refreshed and more prepared than ever.

The numbers don't lie – Simmons averaged 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game. Those are video game statistics for a rookie! I've always valued all-around players over pure scorers, and Simmons embodied that philosophy perfectly. His court vision was extraordinary for a 6'10" player – he made everyone around him better. Watching him orchestrate the Philadelphia 76ers' offense felt like witnessing a veteran in a rookie's body. He recorded 12 triple-doubles that season, breaking Magic Johnson's long-standing rookie record. That's not just good – that's historic.

What impressed me most was how he transformed the 76ers. The team improved from 28 wins the previous season to 52 wins with Simmons running the show. That's a 24-win improvement – one of the biggest turnarounds I've seen from a single rookie's impact. His partnership with Joel Embiid created one of the most dynamic duos in the league, and honestly, it was some of the most entertaining basketball I've watched in recent years.

Now, Donovan Mitchell put up an incredible fight – averaging 20.5 points per game and nearly stealing the award. Some analysts argued he deserved it more because he played all 82 games while Simmons was technically a second-year player. But here's my take – the award criteria clearly state it's for the best first-year player, regardless of when they were drafted. Simmons had never played an NBA game before that season, and his impact was simply too significant to ignore.

The voting reflected this consensus – Simmons received 90 out of 101 first-place votes, winning by a landslide. Having followed NBA awards for years, I can tell you that margin speaks volumes about how dominant he was throughout the season. His combination of size, skill, and basketball IQ was something we hadn't seen since LeBron James entered the league.

Looking back, Simmons' rookie season remains one of my favorite basketball stories. It teaches us that sometimes, what looks like a setback – whether an injury year or time away from competition – can become the foundation for extraordinary success. Just as Pacquiao's political ventures gave him unexpected recovery time that possibly extended his boxing career, Simmons' delayed debut might have given him the mental and physical preparation needed to explode onto the scene with such authority. Both stories remind me that an athlete's journey isn't always linear, and sometimes the detours make the ultimate success even sweeter.