The NBA Most Valuable Player award honors the player judged most impactful during the regular season. First awarded after the 1955-56 season, it was renamed the Michael Jordan Trophy in 2022.
Voting is conducted by a panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters from the U.S. and Canada, selected by the NBA. Each voter ranks five players.
A first-place vote gives 10 points, and the last place vote receives one point. The player with the highest number of points wins the award. A vote is taken at the end of the regular season; playoff performance is ignored. There is now a minimum requirement of 65 games played to be eligible to receive the award.
Originally, the award was voted upon by the players.
The list of NBA Finals MVP winners by season
Wilt Chamberlain scored an #NBAAllStar Game record 42 points in '62 (footage here), but it was Bob Pettit who won MVP: West 150, East 130. pic.twitter.com/mP2l235m3S
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) February 20, 2017
| Season | MVP Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1955–56 | Bob Pettit | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1956–57 | Bob Cousy | Boston Celtics |
| 1957–58 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics |
| 1958–59 | Bob Pettit | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1959–60 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1960–61 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics |
| 1961–62 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics |
| 1962–63 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics |
| 1963–64 | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1964–65 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics |
| 1965–66 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1966–67 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1967–68 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1968–69 | Wes Unseld | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1969–70 | Willis Reed | New York Knicks |
| 1970–71 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1971–72 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1972–73 | Dave Cowens | Boston Celtics |
| 1973–74 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1974–75 | Bob McAdoo | Buffalo Braves |
| 1975–76 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1976–77 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1977–78 | Bill Walton | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1978–79 | Moses Malone | Houston Rockets |
| 1979–80 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1980–81 | Julius Erving | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1981–82 | Moses Malone | Houston Rockets |
| 1982–83 | Moses Malone | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1983–84 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics |
| 1984–85 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics |
| 1985–86 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics |
| 1986–87 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1987–88 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1988–89 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1989–90 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1990–91 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1991–92 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1992–93 | Charles Barkley | Phoenix Suns |
| 1993–94 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets |
| 1994–95 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1995–96 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1996–97 | Karl Malone | Utah Jazz |
| 1997–98 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1998–99 | Karl Malone | Utah Jazz |
| 1999–00 | Shaquille O’Neal | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2000–01 | Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2001–02 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2002–03 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2003–04 | Kevin Garnett | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2004–05 | Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns |
| 2005–06 | Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns |
| 2006–07 | Dirk Nowitzki | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2007–08 | Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2008–09 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2009–10 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2010–11 | Derrick Rose | Chicago Bulls |
| 2011–12 | LeBron James | Miami Heat |
| 2012–13 | LeBron James | Miami Heat |
| 2013–14 | Kevin Durant | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2014–15 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
| 2015–16 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
| 2016–17 | Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2017–18 | James Harden | Houston Rockets |
| 2018–19 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2019–20 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2020–21 | Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets |
| 2021–22 | Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets |
| 2022–23 | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2023–24 | Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets |
Denver's Nikola Jokic has won the 2023-24 NBA Most Valuable Player award. Ninth player to ever win league MVP three times. pic.twitter.com/Xc6ReioW1t
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 8, 2024
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the record with six wins. Bill Russell and Michael Jordan have gotten five each.
In 1956, Bob Pettit became the very first recipient of the award. Derrick Rose is the youngest player ever to win the award at the age of 22 in 2011, and Wes Unseld is the second youngest, winning at 22 as a rookie in 1969.
Karl Malone is the oldest to win the award, since he won in 1999 at the age of 35 years and 280 days. Michael Jordan won the award one year earlier in 1998 at the age of 35.
Moses Malone is the only player who won consecutive MVPs while playing for different teams (Houston in 1982, Philadelphia in 1983).
Stephen Curry was the only unanimous winner in 2016.
History made. 🔥
— Thirty Ink (@ThirtyInk) May 10, 2025
On this day in 2016, Stephen Curry became the first player in NBA history to win the MVP award unanimously…all 131 first-place votes. A season for the books. #ElevateTheUnder pic.twitter.com/ty7FV7nVZG
Nikola Jokić, who was drafted with the 41st pick in 2014, is the lowest-drafted player to have won the award.
READ: NBA Playoffs: Youngest and Oldest Players to Ever Compete
I am a writer passionate about telling the stories behind the game of basketball. From the culture and personalities shaping the sport to the moments that define it, I explore basketball beyond the box score.
