NBA Most Valuable Player Award
The NBA Most Valuable Player Award is an award from the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Most Valuable Player (Engl. Most Valuable Player , shortly MVP ) of the league in the regular season . A similar award is the NBA Finals MVP Award for the most valuable player in the final round of the play-offs .
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the MVP award six times in his career
Five-time MVP Award winner Michael Jordan
History and voting process
The NBA Most Valuable Player Award was introduced in the 1955/56 season . The accompanying trophy is named after Maurice Podoloff , the first league president. Until 1980, the MVP was chosen by the NBA pros. The MVP award has been given by sports journalists since the 1980/81 season.
The choice of the MVP is always carried out at the end of the regular season (end of April) so that the award can take place within the first play-off rounds. Around 120 sports journalists will take part in the election. Each of them has five votes that are weighted differently. The first vote counts ten points, the second seven, the third five, the fourth three and the fifth vote one point. The player with the most points is declared the MVP.
Award winners
Most of the MVP awards went to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Bill Russell and Michael Jordan (five each). The youngest MVP winner was Derrick Rose in the 2010/11 season (22 years and seven months), the oldest winner was Karl Malone in the 1998/99 season (35 years and ten months). The tightest decision in choosing the MVP (since 1981; introduction of media voting) was made in 1990 between Magic Johnson (636 points) and Charles Barkley (614), the clearest in 2000 between Shaquille O'Neal (1207 points) and Kevin Garnett (408). The only unanimously elected MVP was Stephen Curry in the 2015-16 season .
The few non-US winners of the MVP award are Hakeem Olajuwon (1994, Nigeria), Steve Nash (2005 and 2006, Canada), Dirk Nowitzki (2007, Germany) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019, Greece).
The current winner is Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks .
| Marks players who are still active in the NBA in the 2019/20 season |
| season | Winner, team | Runner-up, team | Third place, team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955/56 | Bob Pettit , Saint Louis Hawks | Paul Arizin , Philadelphia Warriors | Bob Cousy , Boston Celtics |
| 1956/57 | Bob Cousy, Boston Celtics | Bob Pettit, Saint Louis Hawks | Paul Arizin, Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1957/58 | Bill Russell , Boston Celtics | Dolph Schayes , Syracuse Nationals | George Yardley , Detroit Pistons |
| 1958/59 | Bob Pettit, Saint Louis Hawks | Bill Russell, Boston Celtics | Elgin Baylor , Minneapolis Lakers |
| 1959/60 | Wilt Chamberlain , Philadelphia Warriors | Bill Russell, Boston Celtics | Bob Pettit, Saint Louis Hawks |
| 1960/61 | Bill Russell, Boston Celtics | Bob Pettit, Saint Louis Hawks | Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1961/62 | Bill Russell, Boston Celtics | Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia Warriors | Oscar Robertson , Cincinnati Royals |
| 1962/63 | Bill Russell, Boston Celtics | Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Lakers | Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals |
| 1963/64 | Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals | Wilt Chamberlain, San Francisco Warriors | Bill Russell, Boston Celtics |
| 1964/65 | Bill Russell, Boston Celtics | Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals | Jerry West , Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1965/66 | Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia 76ers | Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers | Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati Royals |
| 1966/67 | Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia 76ers | Nate Thurmond , San Francisco Warriors | Bill Russell, Boston Celtics |
| 1967/68 | Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia 76ers | Lenny Wilkens , Saint Louis Hawks | Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1968/69 | Wes Unseld , Baltimore Bullets | Willis Reed , New York Knicks | Billy Cunningham , Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1969/70 | Willis Reed, New York Knicks | Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1970/71 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks | Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers | Dave Bing , Detroit Pistons |
| 1971/72 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks | Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers | Wilt Chamberlain, Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1972/73 | Dave Cowens , Boston Celtics | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks | Tiny Archibald , Kansas City Kings |
| 1973/74 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks | Bob McAdoo , Buffalo Braves | Bob Lanier , Detroit Pistons |
| 1974/75 | Bob McAdoo, Buffalo Braves | Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics | Elvin Hayes , Washington Bullets |
| 1975/76 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers | Bob McAdoo, Buffalo Braves | Dave Cowens, Boston Celtics |
| 1976/77 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers | Bill Walton , Portland Trail Blazers | Pete Maravich , New Orleans Jazz |
| 1977/78 | Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers | George Gervin , San Antonio Spurs | David Thompson , Denver Nuggets |
| 1978/79 | Moses Malone , Houston Rockets | George Gervin, San Antonio Spurs | Elvin Hayes, Washington Bullets |
| 1979/80 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers | Julius Erving , Philadelphia 76ers | George Gervin, San Antonio Spurs |
| season | Winner, team | Runner-up, team | Third place, team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980/81 | Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers | Larry Bird , Boston Celtics | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1981/82 | Moses Malone, Houston Rockets | Larry Bird, Boston Celtics | Julius Erving, Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1982/83 | Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers | Larry Bird, Boston Celtics | Magic Johnson , Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1983/84 | Larry Bird, Boston Celtics | Bernard King , New York Knicks | Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1984/85 | Larry Bird, Boston Celtics | Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers | Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1985/86 | Larry Bird, Boston Celtics | Dominique Wilkins , Atlanta Hawks | Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1986/87 | Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers | Michael Jordan , Chicago Bulls | Larry Bird, Boston Celtics |
| 1987/88 | Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls | Larry Bird, Boston Celtics | Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1988/89 | Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers | Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls | Karl Malone , Utah Jazz |
| 1989/90 | Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers | Charles Barkley , Philadelphia 76ers | Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls |
| 1990/91 | Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls | Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers | David Robinson , San Antonio Spurs |
| 1991/92 | Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls | Clyde Drexler , Portland Trail Blazers | David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs |
| 1992/93 | Charles Barkley, Phoenix Suns | Hakeem Olajuwon , Houston Rockets | Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls |
| 1993/94 | Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets | David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs | Scottie Pippen , Chicago Bulls |
| 1994/95 | David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs | Shaquille O'Neal , Orlando Magic | Karl Malone, Utah Jazz |
| 1995/96 | Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls | David Robinson, San Antonio Spurs | Penny Hardaway , Orlando Magic |
| 1996/97 | Karl Malone, Utah Jazz | Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls | Grant Hill , Detroit Pistons |
| 1997/98 | Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls | Karl Malone, Utah Jazz | Gary Payton , Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1998/99 | Karl Malone, Utah Jazz | Alonzo Mourning , Miami Heat | Tim Duncan , San Antonio Spurs |
| 1999/00 | Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers | Kevin Garnett , Minnesota Timberwolves | Alonzo Mourning, Miami Heat |
| 2000/01 | Allen Iverson , Philadelphia 76ers | Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs | Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2001/02 | Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs | Jason Kidd , New Jersey Nets | Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2002/03 | Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs | Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves | Kobe Bryant , Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2003/04 | Kevin Garnett, Minnesota Timberwolves | Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs | Jermaine O'Neal , Indiana Pacers |
| 2004/05 | Steve Nash , Phoenix Suns | Shaquille O'Neal, Miami Heat | Dirk Nowitzki , Dallas Mavericks |
| 2005/06 | Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns | LeBron James , Cleveland Cavaliers | Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks |
| 2006/07 | Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks | Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns | Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2007/08 | Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers | Chris Paul , New Orleans Hornets | Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics |
| 2008/09 | LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers | Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers | Dwyane Wade , Miami Heat |
| 2009/10 | LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers | Kevin Durant , Oklahoma City Thunder | Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2010/11 | Derrick Rose , Chicago Bulls | Dwight Howard , Orlando Magic | LeBron James, Miami Heat |
| 2011/12 | LeBron James, Miami Heat | Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder | Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2012/13 | LeBron James, Miami Heat | Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder | Carmelo Anthony , New York Knicks |
| 2013/14 | Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder | LeBron James, Miami Heat | Blake Griffin , Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2014/15 | Stephen Curry , Golden State Warriors | James Harden , Houston Rockets | LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2015/16 | Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors | Kawhi Leonard , San Antonio Spurs | LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2016/17 | Russell Westbrook , Oklahoma City Thunder | James Harden, Houston Rockets | Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs |
| 2017/18 | James Harden, Houston Rockets | LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers | Anthony Davis , New Orleans Pelicans |
| 2018/19 | Giannis Antetokounmpo , Milwaukee Bucks | James Harden, Houston Rockets | Paul George , Oklahoma City Thunder |
Leaderboards
player
- Place : states the position of the player (only players with at least two awards) within this ranking list. This is determined by the number of titles.
- Name : gives the name of the player.
- Teams : gives the name of the team.
- Number : states the number of awards won.
- Years : states the seasons in which the player was awarded.
| space | Surname | Teams | number | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks (3) / Los Angeles Lakers (3) | 6th | 1971 , 1972 , 1974 , 1976 , 1977 , 1980 |
| 2. | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics | 5 | 1958 , 1961 , 1962 , 1963 , 1965 |
| Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 1988 , 1991 , 1992 , 1996 , 1998 | ||
| 4th | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors (1) / Philadelphia 76ers (3) | 4th | 1960 , 1966 , 1967 , 1968 |
| LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers (2) / Miami Heat (2) | 2009 , 2010 , 2012 , 2013 | ||
| 6th | Moses Malone | Houston Rockets (2) / Philadelphia 76ers (1) | 3 | 1979 , 1982 , 1983 |
| Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | 1984 , 1985 , 1986 | ||
| Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 1987 , 1989 , 1990 | ||
| 9. | Bob Pettit | St. Louis Hawks | 2 | 1956 , 1959 |
| Karl Malone | Utah Jazz | 1997 , 1999 | ||
| Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 2002 , 2003 | ||
| Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns | 2005 , 2006 | ||
| Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | 2015 , 2016 |
Teams
- Place : states the position of the team within this ranking list. This is determined by the number of titles. If the number of titles is the same, they are sorted alphabetically.
- Name : Give the name of the team.
- Number : states the number of awards won by players on this team.
- Years : states the seasons in which a player on the team was awarded.
| space | Surname | number | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Boston Celtics | 10 | 1957 , 1958 , 1961 , 1962 , 1963 , 1965 , 1973 , 1984 , 1985 , 1986 |
| 2. | Los Angeles Lakers | 8th | 1976 , 1977 , 1980 , 1987 , 1989 , 1990 , 2000 , 2008 |
| 3. | Chicago Bulls | 6th | 1988 , 1991 , 1992 , 1996 , 1998 , 2011 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 1966 , 1967 , 1968 , 1981 , 1983 , 2001 | ||
| 5. | Houston Rockets | 4th | 1979 , 1982 , 1994 , 2018 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 1971 , 1972 , 1974 , 2019 | ||
| 7th | Golden State Warriors (including Philadelphia Warriors ) | 3 | 1960 , 2015 , 2016 |
| Phoenix Suns | 1993 , 2005 , 2006 | ||
| San Antonio Spurs | 1995 , 2002 , 2003 | ||
| 10. | Cleveland Cavaliers | 2 | 2009 , 2010 |
| Miami Heat | 2012 , 2013 | ||
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 2014 , 2017 | ||
| St. Louis Hawks | 1956 , 1959 | ||
| Utah Jazz | 1997 , 1999 | ||
| 15th | Baltimore Bullets | 1 | 1969 |
| Buffalo Braves | 1975 | ||
| Cincinnati Royals | 1964 | ||
| Dallas Mavericks | 2007 | ||
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 2004 | ||
| New York Knicks | 1970 | ||
| Portland Trail Blazers | 1978 |
Web links
- Most Valuable Player. In: NBA Encyclopedia. NBA Media Ventures, LLC, accessed May 5, 2009 .
NBA awards
All-Defensive Team | All-NBA Team | All-rookie team | All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Award | Coach of the Year Award | Community Assist Award | Defensive Player of the Year Award | Executive of the Year Award | Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award | J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award | Most Improved Player Award | Most Valuable Player Award | Rookie of the Year Award | Sixth Man of the Year Award | Sportsmanship Award | Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award