NBA Most Valuable Player Award

                National Basketball Association awards and honors
Championship
 • O'Brien Trophy  • Brown Trophy (defunct)
Individual awards
 • All-Star Game MVP  • Most Improved Player
 • Bill Russell Finals MVP  • Most Valuable Player
 • Coach of the Year  • Rookie of the Year
 • Defensive Player of the Year  • Sixth Man of the Year
 • Executive of the Year  • Sportsmanship Award
 • J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award
Honors
 • All-NBA Team  • All-Defensive Team
 • All-Rookie Team

The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 NBA season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president)[a] of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement in 1963. MVP voting takes place immediately following the regular season. Until the 1979–80 NBA season, the MVP was originally selected by a vote of NBA players. However, since the 1980–81 season, the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is worth 10 points; each second-place vote is worth seven; each third-place vote is worth five, fourth-place is worth three and fifth-place is worth one. Starting from 2010, one ballot was cast by fans through online voting. The player with the highest point total wins the award.[1] Since the 1982–83 season, every player who has won the award has played for a team with at least 50 regular-season wins (except for Karl Malone in the lockout-shortened 1998–99 season, in which the regular season was only 50 games long).[2]

Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award six times.[3] Both Bill Russell and Michael Jordan won the award five times[2] while Wilt Chamberlain won the award four times in his career. Hall of Fame players Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson each won the award three times, while Bob Pettit, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash and LeBron James have each won it twice.[2] The most recent winner was LeBron James, who received 116 of the 123 first-place votes.[4] Only two rookies have won the award: Wilt Chamberlain in the 1959–60 season and Wes Unseld in the 1968–69 season.[5] Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria[c], Duncan of the U.S. Virgin Islands[d], Nash of Canada[e] and Dirk Nowitzki of Germany are the only MVP winners who were not raised in the United States. 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]

Winners

Hall of Famer Bob Cousy won the award in the 1956–57 NBA season.
Wilt Chamberlain won the award four times in his NBA career.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award six times in his career, the most in the history of the NBA.
Michael Jordan won the award five times in his career.
Tim Duncan is one of two international players to win the award twice in a row, along with Steve Nash.
Dirk Nowitzki is the only European to win the award.
^ Denotes player who is still active
* Elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame
Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player has been named MVP
Season Player Position Nationality Team
1955–56 Pettit, BobBob Pettit* Forward  United States St. Louis Hawks
1956–57 Cousy, BobBob Cousy* Guard  United States Boston Celtics
1957–58 Russell, BillBill Russell* Center  United States Boston Celtics
1958–59 Pettit, BobBob Pettit* (2) Forward  United States St. Louis Hawks
1959–60 Chamberlain, WiltWilt Chamberlain* Center  United States Philadelphia Warriors
1960–61 Russell, BillBill Russell* (2) Center  United States Boston Celtics
1961–62 Russell, BillBill Russell* (3) Center  United States Boston Celtics
1962–63 Russell, BillBill Russell* (4) Center  United States Boston Celtics
1963–64 Robertson, OscarOscar Robertson* Guard  United States Cincinnati Royals
1964–65 Russell, BillBill Russell* (5) Center  United States Boston Celtics
1965–66 Chamberlain, WiltWilt Chamberlain* (2) Center  United States Philadelphia 76ers
1966–67 Chamberlain, WiltWilt Chamberlain* (3) Center  United States Philadelphia 76ers
1967–68 Chamberlain, WiltWilt Chamberlain* (4) Center  United States Philadelphia 76ers
1968–69 Unseld, WesWes Unseld* Center/Forward  United States Baltimore Bullets
1969–70 Reed, WillisWillis Reed* Center/Forward  United States New York Knicks
1970–71 Alcindor, LewLew Alcindor*[b] Center  United States Milwaukee Bucks
1971–72 Abdul-Jabbar, KareemKareem Abdul-Jabbar*[b] (2) Center  United States Milwaukee Bucks
1972–73 Cowens, DaveDave Cowens* Center  United States Boston Celtics
1973–74 Abdul-Jabbar, KareemKareem Abdul-Jabbar*[b] (3) Center  United States Milwaukee Bucks
1974–75 McAdoo, BobBob McAdoo* Forward/Center  United States Buffalo Braves
1975–76 Abdul-Jabbar, KareemKareem Abdul-Jabbar*[b] (4) Center  United States Los Angeles Lakers
1976–77 Abdul-Jabbar, KareemKareem Abdul-Jabbar*[b] (5) Center  United States Los Angeles Lakers
1977–78 Walton, BillBill Walton* Center  United States Portland Trail Blazers
1978–79 Malone, MosesMoses Malone* Center/Forward  United States Houston Rockets
1979–80 Abdul-Jabbar, KareemKareem Abdul-Jabbar*[b] (6) Center  United States Los Angeles Lakers
1980–81 Erving, JuliusJulius Erving* Forward  United States Philadelphia 76ers
1981–82 Malone, MosesMoses Malone* (2) Center/Forward  United States Houston Rockets
1982–83 Malone, MosesMoses Malone* (3) Center/Forward  United States Philadelphia 76ers
1983–84 Bird, LarryLarry Bird* Forward  United States Boston Celtics
1984–85 Bird, LarryLarry Bird* (2) Forward  United States Boston Celtics
1985–86 Bird, LarryLarry Bird* (3) Forward  United States Boston Celtics
1986–87 Johnson, MagicMagic Johnson* Guard  United States Los Angeles Lakers
1987–88 Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan* Guard  United States Chicago Bulls
1988–89 Johnson, MagicMagic Johnson* (2) Guard  United States Los Angeles Lakers
1989–90 Johnson, MagicMagic Johnson* (3) Guard  United States Los Angeles Lakers
1990–91 Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan* (2) Guard  United States Chicago Bulls
1991–92 Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan* (3) Guard  United States Chicago Bulls
1992–93 Barkley, CharlesCharles Barkley* Forward  United States Phoenix Suns
1993–94 Olajuwon, HakeemHakeem Olajuwon* Center  United States[c] Houston Rockets
1994–95 Robinson, DavidDavid Robinson* Center  United States San Antonio Spurs
1995–96 Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan* (4) Guard  United States Chicago Bulls
1996–97 Malone, KarlKarl Malone* Forward  United States Utah Jazz
1997–98 Jordan, MichaelMichael Jordan* (5) Guard  United States Chicago Bulls
1998–99 Malone, KarlKarl Malone* (2) Forward  United States Utah Jazz
1999–00 O'Neal, ShaquilleShaquille O'Neal^ Center  United States Los Angeles Lakers
2000–01 Iverson, AllenAllen Iverson^ Guard  United States Philadelphia 76ers
2001–02 Duncan, TimTim Duncan^ Forward/Center  United States[d] San Antonio Spurs
2002–03 Duncan, TimTim Duncan^ (2) Forward/Center  United States[d] San Antonio Spurs
2003–04 Garnett, KevinKevin Garnett^ Forward  United States Minnesota Timberwolves
2004–05 Nash, SteveSteve Nash^ Guard  Canada Phoenix Suns
2005–06 Nash, SteveSteve Nash^ (2) Guard  Canada Phoenix Suns
2006–07 Nowitzki, DirkDirk Nowitzki^ Forward  Germany Dallas Mavericks
2007–08 Bryant, KobeKobe Bryant^ Guard  United States Los Angeles Lakers
2008–09 James, LeBronLeBron James^ Forward  United States Cleveland Cavaliers
2009–10 James, LeBronLeBron James^ (2) Forward  United States Cleveland Cavaliers

Notes

  • a The official title of the position was NBA President until 1967 when it was changed to NBA Commissioner.[7]
  • b Before the 1971–72 season, Lew Alcindor converted to Islam and 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 Steve Nash, who was born in South Africa, was raised in Canada.[12]

References

General
Specific
  1. ↑ "LeBron receives 116 first-place votes". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. May 2, 2010. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5156199. Retrieved May 2, 2010. 
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Most Valuable Player". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/history/awards_mvp.html. Retrieved July 4, 2008. 
  3. ↑ "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/history/players/abduljabbar_bio.html. Retrieved July 4, 2008. 
  4. ↑ "LeBron James goes back-to-back with second Kia MVP award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 2, 2010. http://www.nba.com/2010/news/05/02/james.mvp.ap/index.html. Retrieved May 2, 2010. 
  5. ↑ "Wes Unseld". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/history/players/unseld_bio.html. Retrieved July 4, 2008. 
  6. ↑ "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. 
  7. ↑ Mike Monroe. "The Commissioners". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/history/commissioners.html. Retrieved July 8, 2008. 
  8. ↑ "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Bio". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/history/players/abduljabbar_bio.html. Retrieved August 4, 2008. 
  9. ↑ "Hakeem Olajuwon Bio: 1992-93". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/playerfile/hakeem_olajuwon/bio.html. Retrieved June 15, 2008. 
  10. ↑ "Virgin Islands". CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/vq.html. Retrieved August 12, 2008. 
  11. ↑ "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. 
  12. ↑ McPeek, Jeramie. "The Canadian Kid". NBA.com (from Fastbreak Magazine on Sept./Oct. 1996). Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. http://www.nba.com/suns/news/fastbreak_nash_cover.html. Retrieved April 22, 2009. 
NBA Most Valuable Player Award
1956: Pettit | 1957: Cousy | 1958: Russell | 1959: Pettit | 1960: Chamberlain | 1961: Russell | 1962: Russell | 1963: Russell | 1964: Robertson | 1965: Russell | 1966: Chamberlain | 1967: Chamberlain | 1968: Chamberlain | 1969: Unseld | 1970: Reed | 1971: Abdul-Jabbar | 1972: Abdul-Jabbar | 1973: Cowens | 1974: Abdul-Jabbar | 1975: McAdoo | 1976: Abdul-Jabbar | 1977: Abdul-Jabbar | 1978: Walton | 1979: M. Malone | 1980: Abdul-Jabbar | 1981: Erving | 1982: M. Malone | 1983: M. Malone | 1984: Bird | 1985: Bird | 1986: Bird | 1987: Johnson | 1988: Jordan | 1989: Johnson | 1990: Johnson | 1991: Jordan | 1992: Jordan | 1993: Barkley | 1994: Olajuwon | 1995: Robinson | 1996: Jordan | 1997: K. Malone | 1998: Jordan | 1999: K. Malone | 2000: O'Neal | 2001: Iverson | 2002: Duncan | 2003: Duncan | 2004: Garnett | 2005: Nash | 2006: Nash | 2007: Nowitzki | 2008: Bryant | 2009: James | 2010: James