The 2012-13 NBA season was a weird one. If you go back and look at the draft board from that summer, it’s a bit of a graveyard of "what ifs" and "who is thats." Anthony Davis was the clear-cut number one pick, a defensive prodigy out of Kentucky with a wingspan that seemed to cover two zip codes. He was supposed to waltz away with the hardware. But injuries happened. Team struggles happened. And while the Brow was finding his footing in New Orleans, a four-year guard from Weber State—a school most casual fans couldn't find on a map—was busy turning the league upside down.
Damian Lillard didn't just win the rookie of the year 2013 nba race. He ended it before it even really started.
Honestly, it’s rare to see that kind of unanimity. When the votes were tallied, Lillard received all 121 first-place votes. Every single one. That’s a "shut the door and lock it" kind of performance. He became only the fourth player in league history to win the award unanimously, joining the ranks of Ralph Sampson, David Robinson, and Blake Griffin. Since then, we've seen Karl-Anthony Towns and Ben Simmons dominate their classes, but there was something specifically gritty about Lillard’s debut that felt different. He wasn't a teenager with "potential." He was a 22-year-old assassin who played like he had a mortgage to pay and a chip on his shoulder the size of the Pacific Northwest.
The Stats That Made the Rookie of the Year 2013 NBA Race a Blowout
Most rookies hit a wall. Usually around February, the 82-game grind starts to turn their legs into lead. Lillard? He just kept shooting. He averaged 19 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game. Those aren't just "good for a rookie" numbers; those are "borderline All-Star" numbers in any era.
He played all 82 games. Every. Single. One.
He led the entire NBA in total minutes played that season with 3,167. Think about that for a second. A rookie point guard was trusted by head coach Terry Stotts to stay on the floor more than LeBron James, more than Kevin Durant, and more than Kobe Bryant. It was a workload that would have snapped most young players in half. Instead, Lillard used those minutes to break the all-time rookie record for three-pointers made in a season, knocking down 185 triples. He broke Stephen Curry’s previous rookie mark of 166, which, in hindsight, was a sign of the shooting revolution that was about to swallow the league whole.
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Beyond the Box Score
It wasn't just the counting stats, though. It was the "Dame Time" DNA. Portland fans remember that game against New Orleans in December 2012. Lillard drained a game-winning three at the buzzer, staring down the bench like he’d been doing it for a decade. Most rookies are shaking in their high-tops in those moments. Lillard looked bored.
While Anthony Davis struggled with a recurring concussion and an ankle sprain that limited him to 64 games, Lillard was becoming the foundational pillar of the Trail Blazers. He wasn't just a piece of the puzzle; he was the frame. Davis finished second in the voting, followed by Bradley Beal and Dion Waiters, but the gap was massive. Harrison Barnes and Andre Drummond showed flashes of brilliance, but nobody could match the sheer volume and reliability of Lillard.
Why Anthony Davis Didn't Win
People love to debate this. Could Davis have won if he stayed healthy? Maybe. Davis was undeniably impactful, averaging 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. His per-minute stats were actually incredible. But the NBA award circuit has always favored availability and "the story."
The story in 2013 was the kid from the Big Sky Conference.
Davis was a rim protector, but he was skinny and still learning how to navigate the physical brutality of NBA centers. Lillard was already a finished product in many ways. He had the pick-and-roll mastered. He could pull up from 30 feet. He could finish through contact. Most importantly, he brought a sense of hope to a Portland franchise that was still mourning the "what could have been" eras of Brandon Roy and Greg Oden.
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The Competition That Faded
- Bradley Beal: He was great in D.C., but he missed 26 games. You can't win ROY from the training table unless the rest of the class is historically bad.
- Dion Waiters: Plenty of "buckets," sure, but the efficiency wasn't there. He was shooting 41% from the field on a Cleveland team that was spinning its wheels in the post-LeBron (first stint) era.
- Harrison Barnes: He was a vital cog for the "We Believe" leftovers and the rising Warriors, but he was a fourth or fifth option. Lillard was the Alpha.
The Legacy of the 2013 Award
When we look back at the rookie of the year 2013 nba results, we’re seeing the birth of a specific archetype. Lillard proved that a four-year college player could have a higher ceiling than previously thought. Before Dame, the trend was moving almost exclusively toward one-and-done prospects. GMs were obsessed with "upside." Lillard reminded everyone that "readiness" is a skill in itself.
He took a Blazers team that won 28 games the year before and helped them feel competitive again, even if they only finished with 33 wins that season. The foundation was set. He proved he was a franchise-caliber player from day one.
The voting results weren't even a contest:
- Damian Lillard (605 points)
- Anthony Davis (306 points)
- Bradley Beal (158 points)
- Dion Waiters (21 points)
It’s actually wild that Harrison Barnes only got 8 points total. He had a solid year for a playoff-bound Golden State team, but the voters were strictly looking at individual impact. Lillard’s impact was a sledgehammer.
Misconceptions About the 2012-13 Class
A lot of people think this was a "weak" draft. On paper, at the time, it kinda felt that way. But look at the longevity. Lillard, Davis, Beal, Draymond Green (who was a second-round steal), and Khris Middleton all came out of this cycle. The talent was there; it just wasn't evenly distributed at the top.
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Another misconception? That Lillard won because he had "no help." He actually had LaMarcus Aldridge, who was in his prime and an All-Star that year. Having an elite big man to run pick-and-pop with actually made Lillard’s transition to the NBA much smoother. It gave him space. It gave him a safety net. But Lillard was the one who had to deliver the ball and hit the shots when the defense collapsed on Aldridge.
Practical Takeaways for Basketball Historians
If you're analyzing rookie seasons to predict future success, the 2013 race teaches us a few things:
- Minutes Matter: If a coach plays a rookie 38 minutes a night, they aren't just "testing" him. They've seen something in practice that suggests he's already the best option.
- Unanimity is Rare: When a player wins unanimously, it’s usually because they’ve combined high-level traditional stats (points/assists) with high-level advanced metrics and "clutch" moments.
- College Experience isn't a Negative: Lillard’s time at Weber State allowed him to develop a physical and mental maturity that the younger rookies in his class lacked.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into NBA history or player development, start by looking at the "unanimous" winners. There is a direct line between how a player handles the pressure of their first 82 games and their ability to lead a team through a playoff gauntlet. Lillard showed us who he was in November 2012. He hasn't changed since.
To truly understand the impact of this season, go back and watch the tape of Lillard’s 37-point game against the Warriors in January 2013. He outplayed Stephen Curry on his own floor. That wasn't just a rookie having a good night; it was a changing of the guard.
Study the shot charts of that season. You'll see Lillard’s willingness to take shots from the logo long before it became a league-wide trend. That's the real legacy of the 2013 Rookie of the Year—it wasn't just an award for a good season; it was the introduction of a player who would eventually be named one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history.