A Canadian-American physical educator, physician, Christian chaplain and sports coach, James Naismith is the polymathic man credited with inventing the game of basketball.
And while players, fans and bettors the world over revel in Naismith's invention every single day, the developer's legacy lives on at the collegiate level, with the Naismith Men's College Basketball Player of the Year Award handed out ever season.
With the stern competition on offer, as well as student-athletes going professional earlier these days, as of February 2023, only two players - Bill Walton and Ralph Sampson - have ever won it on multiple occasions.
From an early Bruin stanglehold to a gigantic Canadian dominating the boards in Lafayette, here is every Naismith Men's College Basketball Player of the Year Award winner.
2023 - Zach Edey – Purdue
2022 - Oscar Tshiebwe - Kentucky
2021 - Luka Garza - Iowa
2020 - Obi Toppin - Dayton
2019 - Zion Williamson - Duke
2018 - Jalen Brunson - Villanova
2017 - Frank Mason III – Kansas
2016 - Buddy Hield – Oklahoma
2015 - Frank Kaminsky III – Wisconsin
2014 - Doug McDermott – Creighton
2013 - Trey Burke – Michigan
2012 - Anthony Davis – Kentucky
2011 - Jimmer Fredette – BYU
2010- Evan Turner - Ohio State
2009 - Blake Griffin – Oklahoma
2008 - Tyler Hansbrough - North Carolina
2007 - Kevin Durant – Texas
2006 - J.J. Redick – Duke
2005 - Andrew Bogut – Utah
2004 - Jameer Nelson - Saint Joseph's
2003 - T.J. Ford – Texas
2002 - Jay Williams – Duke
2001 - Shane Battier – Duke
2000 - Kenyon Martin – Cincinnati
1999 - Elton Brand - Duke
1998 - Antawn Jamison - North Carolina
1997 - Tim Duncan - Wake Forest
1996 - Marcus Camby – UMass
1995 - Joe Smith – Maryland
1994 - Glenn Robinson – Purdue
1993 - Calbert Cheaney – Indiana
1992 - Christian Laettner – Duke
1991 - Larry Johnson – UNLV
1990 - Lionel Simmons – LaSalle
1989 - Danny Ferry – Duke
1988 - Danny Manning – Kansas
1987 - David Robinson – Navy
1986 - Johnny Dawkins – Duke
1985 - Patrick Ewing – Georgetown
1984 - Michael Jordan - North Carolina
1983 - Ralph Sampson – Virginia
1982 - Ralph Sampson – Virginia
1981 - Ralph Sampson – Virginia
1980 - Mark Aguirre – DePaul
1979 - Larry Bird - Indiana State
1978 - Butch Lee – Marquette
1977- Marques Johnson – UCLA
1976 - Scott May – Indiana
1975 - David Thompson - N.C. State
1974 - Bill Walton - UCLA
1973 - Bill Walton – UCLA
1972 - Bill Walton – UCLA
1971 - Austin Carr - Notre Dame
1970 - Pete Maravich – LSU
1969 - Lew Alcindor - UCLA