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