Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
| Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award |
 |
| Established |
1969 |
| Current holder(s) |
Kobe Bryant |
| Awarded to the |
Most valuable player in
each NBA Finals |
Jerry West, the inaugural award recipient, is the only person to win while being on the losing team (in the 1969 NBA Finals).
Tim Duncan (top) is the only international player to win this award three times, while Tony Parker (bottom) is the only European to win the award.
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The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award (formerly known as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award is decided by a panel of nine media members, who cast vote after the conclusion of the final round. The person with the highest votes wins the award. In at least one NBA Finals, fans balloting on NBA.com accounted for the tenth vote.[1][2] Originally, the award was a black trophy with a gold basketball-shaped sphere at the top, similar to the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, until a smaller trophy was introduced in 2005.[3][4]
Michael Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA Championships from 1991 to 1993 and 1996 to 1998, is the only player to win the award six times.[5] Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and Tim Duncan all won the award three times in their career while Willis Reed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Kobe Bryant won the award twice. Jordan and O'Neal are the only players to win the award in three consecutive seasons (Jordan accomplished the feat on two separate occasions). Olajuwon and Bryant have won the award in two consecutive seasons. Abdul-Jabbar is the only player to win the award for two different teams, first with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1971, then with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1985. Jerry West, the first ever awardee, won the award while being on the losing team in the NBA Finals.[5] Olajuwon of Nigeria, who was a naturalized U.S. citizen since 1993, Tim Duncan of the U.S. Virgin Islands and Tony Parker of France are the only three international players to win the award. Duncan is an American citizen, but is considered an "international" player by the NBA because he was not born in one of the fifty states or Washington, D.C.[6]
On February 14, 2009, during the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the award would be re-named the "Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award" in honor of 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell.[7]
Winners
| ^ |
Denotes player who is still active |
| * |
Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame |
| Player (X) |
Denotes the number of times the player has received the Finals MVP award |
| Team (X) |
Denotes the number of times a player from this team has received the Finals MVP award |
| Year |
Player |
Positions |
Nationality |
Team |
| 1969 |
West, JerryJerry West*[a] |
Guard |
 United States |
Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1970 |
Reed, WillisWillis Reed* |
Center/Forward |
United States |
New York Knicks |
| 1971 |
Alcindor, LewLew Alcindor*[b] |
Center |
United States |
Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1972 |
Chamberlain, WiltWilt Chamberlain* |
Center |
United States |
Los Angeles Lakers (2) |
| 1973 |
Reed, WillisWillis Reed* (2) |
Center/Forward |
United States |
New York Knicks (2) |
| 1974 |
Havlicek, JohnJohn Havlicek* |
Forward/Guard |
United States |
Boston Celtics |
| 1975 |
Barry, RickRick Barry* |
Forward |
United States |
Golden State Warriors |
| 1976 |
White, Jo JoJo Jo White |
Guard |
United States |
Boston Celtics (2) |
| 1977 |
Walton, BillBill Walton* |
Center |
United States |
Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1978 |
Unseld, WesWes Unseld* |
Center/Forward |
United States |
Washington Bullets |
| 1979 |
Johnson, DennisDennis Johnson* |
Guard |
United States |
Seattle SuperSonics |
| 1980 |
Johnson, MagicMagic Johnson* |
Guard |
United States |
Los Angeles Lakers (3) |
| 1981 |
Maxwell, CedricCedric Maxwell |
Forward |
United States |
Boston Celtics (3) |
| 1982 |
Johnson, MagicMagic Johnson* (2) |
Guard |
United States |
Los Angeles Lakers (4) |
| 1983 |
Malone, MosesMoses Malone* |
Center/Forward |
United States |
Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1984 |
Bird, LarryLarry Bird* |
Forward |
United States |
Boston Celtics (4) |
| 1985 |
Abdul-Jabbar, KareemKareem Abdul-Jabbar*[b] (2) |
Center |
United States |
Los Angeles Lakers (5) |
| 1986 |
Bird, LarryLarry Bird* (2) |
Forward |
United States |
Boston Celtics (5) |
| 1987 |
Johnson, MagicMagic Johnson* (3) |
Guard |
United States |
Los Angeles Lakers (6) |
| 1988 |
Worthy, JamesJames Worthy* |
Forward |
United States |
Los Angeles Lakers (7) |
| 1989 |
Dumars, JoeJoe Dumars* |
Guard |
United States |
Detroit Pistons |
| 1990 |
Thomas, IsiahIsiah Thomas* |
Guard |
United States |
Detroit Pistons (2) |
| 1991 |
Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan* |
Guard |
United States |
Chicago Bulls |
| 1992 |
Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan* (2) |
Guard |
United States |
Chicago Bulls (2) |
| 1993 |
Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan* (3) |
Guard |
United States |
Chicago Bulls (3) |
| 1994 |
Olajuwon, HakeemHakeem Olajuwon* |
Center |
United States[c] |
Houston Rockets |
| 1995 |
Olajuwon, HakeemHakeem Olajuwon* (2) |
Center |
United States[c] |
Houston Rockets (2) |
| 1996 |
Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan* (4) |
Guard |
United States |
Chicago Bulls (4) |
| 1997 |
Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan* (5) |
Guard |
United States |
Chicago Bulls (5) |
| 1998 |
Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan* (6) |
Guard |
United States |
Chicago Bulls (6) |
| 1999 |
Duncan, TimTim Duncan^ |
Forward/Center |
United States[d] |
San Antonio Spurs |
| 2000 |
O'Neal, ShaquilleShaquille O'Neal^ |
Center |
United States |
Los Angeles Lakers (8) |
| 2001 |
O'Neal, ShaquilleShaquille O'Neal^ (2) |
Center |
United States |
Los Angeles Lakers (9) |
| 2002 |
O'Neal, ShaquilleShaquille O'Neal^ (3) |
Center |
United States |
Los Angeles Lakers (10) |
| 2003 |
Duncan, TimTim Duncan^ (2) |
Forward/Center |
United States[d] |
San Antonio Spurs (2) |
| 2004 |
Billups, ChaunceyChauncey Billups^ |
Guard |
United States |
Detroit Pistons (3) |
| 2005 |
Duncan, TimTim Duncan^ (3) |
Forward/Center |
United States[d] |
San Antonio Spurs (3) |
| 2006 |
Wade, DwyaneDwyane Wade^ |
Guard |
United States |
Miami Heat |
| 2007 |
Parker, TonyTony Parker^[e] |
Guard |
 France |
San Antonio Spurs (4) |
| 2008 |
Pierce, PaulPaul Pierce^ |
Forward/Guard |
United States |
Boston Celtics (6) |
| 2009 |
Bryant, KobeKobe Bryant^ |
Guard |
United States |
Los Angeles Lakers (11) |
| 2010 |
Bryant, KobeKobe Bryant^ (2) |
Guard |
United States |
Los Angeles Lakers (12) |
Notes
- a Jerry West is the only player to win the award while being on the losing team in the NBA Finals.
- b Before the 1971–72 season, Lew Alcindor changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.[8]
- c Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Nigeria, but became a naturalized United States citizen in 1993.[9]
- d Because Tim Duncan is a United States citizen by birth, as are all natives of the U.S. Virgin Islands,[10] he was able to play for the U.S. internationally.[11]
- e Tony Parker is the only non-U.S. citizen to win the Finals MVP award.
References
- General
- Specific
- ↑ Mike Bresnahan (June 19, 2008). "Numbers from final game tell bad tale for Lakers". Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/la-sp-lakersfyi19-2008jun19,0,5202810.story. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
- ↑ Johnny Ludden (June 25, 2005). "MVP voting as close as the series". San Antonio Express-News. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SAEC&p_theme=saec&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=10B05696DC904A04&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
- ↑ "Game 5 Notebook: Billups Wins MVP". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/finals2004/game5_notebook.html. Retrieved July 16, 2008.
- ↑ "Spurs crowned NBA champions". CBC Sports. June 24, 2005. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2005/06/23/spurs-pistons050623.html. Retrieved July 16, 2008.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Finals Most Valuable Player". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/history/finalsmvps.html. Retrieved July 14, 2008.
- ↑ "Bargnani becomes first European top NBA draft pick". People's Daily Online. June 29, 2006. http://english.people.com.cn/200606/29/eng20060629_278441.html. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
- ↑ "The Finals MVP to Receive Bill Russell MVP Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. February 14, 2009. http://www.nba.com/2009/news/02/14/russell.trophy/index.html?rss=true. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
- ↑ "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/history/players/abduljabbar_bio.html. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
- ↑ "Hakeem Olajuwon Bio: 1992-93". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/hakeem_olajuwon/bio.html. Retrieved June 15, 2008.
- ↑ "Virgin Islands". CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vq.html. Retrieved August 12, 2008.
- ↑ "All-Time USA Basketball Men's Roster: D". USA Basketball. http://www.usabasketball.com/news.php?news_page=men_alpha_D. Retrieved June 16, 2008.
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Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award |
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NBA Finals |
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| Champions • O'Brien Trophy • Most Valuable Player Award • Brown Trophy • Greatest Game Ever Played • Game 6 of 1998 Finals • Broadcasters • WNBA Finals |
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