One of the more interesting times during the offseason each year comes when the NBA takes a survey from its crop of incoming rookies. Each class brings their own style and it exposes who the players themselves think is the best among themselves.
Aside from questions about themselves however, the survey typically asks about their favorite players currently in the league. This year both current and past Los Angeles Lakers were represented.
For the second straight year, LeBron James garnered the most votes in the NBA Rookie Survey as their favorite player in the NBA.
James was the runaway winner with 29 percent of the vote beating out Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant who had nine percent. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chris Paul, Dwyane Wade, and Russell Westbrook all got six percent.
Also interesting was that Kobe Bryant was also in the ‘others receiving votes’ category, two years after he retired. Bryant still having that impact on players shows how amazing and influential he was during his time in the league.
This is the third time James has led this category in the rookie survey and he has been with a different team each time. In 2012 as a member of the Miami Heat he took in 31 percent of the vote and last year with the Cleveland Cavaliers he garnered 32 percent.
Bryant has also been a fixture on this list, leading the category three times; 2007, 2010 and 2012. His 38 percent in 2010 remains the highest in the category since the survey began.
Both Bryant and James are legendary basketball figures so it only makes sense that they have been mainstays on this list since its inception and that only figures to continue, particularly for James, as long as he continues to be the NBA’s most dominant force.
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