The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Since the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jordan Trophy, named after the five-time MVP.
Bob McAdoo and his 1974–75 NBA Most Valuable Player trophy | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Awarded for | Best performing player in regular season of the National Basketball Association |
| History | |
| First award | 1955–56 |
| Most wins | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6) |
| Most recent | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder (2025) |
Prior to 2021, the winner received the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which was named in honor of the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963. With the switch to the Michael Jordan Trophy, his name was moved to a new Maurice Podoloff Trophy given to the team with the best regular season record.
Until the 1979–80 season, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since the 1980–81 season, the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Each member of the voting panel 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. As of the 2024–25 season, the current holder of the award is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Every player who has won this award and deemed eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has been inducted. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record six times. He is also the only player to win the award despite his team not making the playoffs, in the 1975–76 season. Both Bill Russell and Michael Jordan won the award five times, while Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James won the award four times. Russell and James are the only players to have won the award four times in five seasons. Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Nikola Jokić each won the award three times, while Bob Pettit, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo won it twice. Russell, Chamberlain, and Bird are the only players to win the award in three consecutive years. Only two rookies have won the award: Chamberlain (1959–60) and Wes Unseld (1968–69). Eight players who won MVP (combining for twelve total awards) are considered "international players" by the NBA: Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria, Duncan of the U.S. Virgin Islands, Nash of Canada, Dirk Nowitzki of Germany, Antetokounmpo of Greece, Nikola Jokić of Serbia, Joel Embiid of Cameroon, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Canada.
Stephen Curry (2015–16) is the only player to have won the award unanimously. Shaquille O'Neal (1999–2000) and LeBron James (2012–13) are the only two players to have fallen one vote shy of a unanimous selection, both receiving 120 of 121 votes. Since the 1975–76 season, only three players have been named MVP for a season in which their team failed to win at least 50 regular season games—Moses Malone (twice, 1978–79 and 1981–82), Russell Westbrook (2016–17) and Nikola Jokić (2021–22).
As part of efforts to reduce load management for star players in the league, effective with the 2023–24 season, when a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and its players' union took effect, players must appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for most regular-season awards and honors, including MVP. To receive credit for a game for purposes of award eligibility, a player must have been credited with at least 20 minutes played. However, two "near misses", in which the player appeared for 15 to 19 minutes, can be included in the 65-game count. Protections also exist for players who suffer season-ending injuries, who are eligible with 62 credited games, and those affected by what the CBA calls "bad faith circumstances".
Winners
| ^ | Denotes player who is still active in the NBA |
| * | Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
| † | Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration |
| † | Denotes player whose team won championship that year |
| Player (#) | Denotes the number of times the player had been named MVP at that time |
| Team (#) | Denotes the number of times a player from this team had won at that time |
| Season | Player | Position | Nationality | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955–56 | Bob Pettit* | Power forward | United States | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1956–57 † | Bob Cousy* | Point guard | United States | Boston Celtics |
| 1957–58 | Bill Russell* | Center | United States | Boston Celtics (2) |
| 1958–59 | Bob Pettit* (2) | Power forward | United States | St. Louis Hawks (2) |
| 1959–60 | Wilt Chamberlain* | Center | United States | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1960–61 † | Bill Russell* (2) | Center | United States | Boston Celtics (3) |
| 1961–62 † | Bill Russell* (3) | Center | United States | Boston Celtics (4) |
| 1962–63 † | Bill Russell* (4) | Center | United States | Boston Celtics (5) |
| 1963–64 | Oscar Robertson* | Point guard | United States | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1964–65 † | Bill Russell* (5) | Center | United States | Boston Celtics (6) |
| 1965–66 | Wilt Chamberlain* (2) | Center | United States | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1966–67 † | Wilt Chamberlain* (3) | Center | United States | Philadelphia 76ers (2) |
| 1967–68 | Wilt Chamberlain* (4) | Center | United States | Philadelphia 76ers (3) |
| 1968–69 | Wes Unseld* | Center | United States | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1969–70 † | Willis Reed* | Center | United States | New York Knicks |
| 1970–71 † | Lew Alcindor* | Center | United States | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1971–72 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* (2) | Center | United States | Milwaukee Bucks (2) |
| 1972–73 | Dave Cowens* | Center | United States | Boston Celtics (7) |
| 1973–74 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* (3) | Center | United States | Milwaukee Bucks (3) |
| 1974–75 | Bob McAdoo* | Center | United States | Buffalo Braves |
| 1975–76 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* (4) | Center | United States | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1976–77 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* (5) | Center | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (2) |
| 1977–78 | Bill Walton* | Center | United States | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1978–79 | Moses Malone* | Center | United States | Houston Rockets |
| 1979–80 † | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar* (6) | Center | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (3) |
| 1980–81 | Julius Erving* | Small forward | United States | Philadelphia 76ers (4) |
| 1981–82 | Moses Malone* (2) | Center | United States | Houston Rockets (2) |
| 1982–83 † | Moses Malone* (3) | Center | United States | Philadelphia 76ers (5) |
| 1983–84 † | Larry Bird* | Small forward | United States | Boston Celtics (8) |
| 1984–85 | Larry Bird* (2) | Small forward | United States | Boston Celtics (9) |
| 1985–86 † | Larry Bird* (3) | Small forward | United States | Boston Celtics (10) |
| 1986–87 † | Magic Johnson* | Point guard | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (4) |
| 1987–88 | Michael Jordan* | Shooting guard | United States | Chicago Bulls |
| 1988–89 | Magic Johnson* (2) | Point guard | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (5) |
| 1989–90 | Magic Johnson* (3) | Point guard | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (6) |
| 1990–91 † | Michael Jordan* (2) | Shooting guard | United States | Chicago Bulls (2) |
| 1991–92 † | Michael Jordan* (3) | Shooting guard | United States | Chicago Bulls (3) |
| 1992–93 | Charles Barkley* | Power forward | United States | Phoenix Suns |
| 1993–94 † | Hakeem Olajuwon* | Center | Nigeria | Houston Rockets (3) |
| 1994–95 | David Robinson* | Center | United States | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1995–96 † | Michael Jordan* (4) | Shooting guard | United States | Chicago Bulls (4) |
| 1996–97 | Karl Malone* | Power forward | United States | Utah Jazz |
| 1997–98 † | Michael Jordan* (5) | Shooting guard | United States | Chicago Bulls (5) |
| 1998–99 | Karl Malone* (2) | Power forward | United States | Utah Jazz (2) |
| 1999–00 † | Shaquille O'Neal* | Center | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (7) |
| 2000–01 | Allen Iverson* | Shooting guard | United States | Philadelphia 76ers (6) |
| 2001–02 | Tim Duncan* | Power forward | United States | San Antonio Spurs (2) |
| 2002–03 † | Tim Duncan* (2) | Power forward | United States | San Antonio Spurs (3) |
| 2003–04 | Kevin Garnett* | Power forward | United States | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2004–05 | Steve Nash* | Point guard | Canada | Phoenix Suns (2) |
| 2005–06 | Steve Nash* (2) | Point guard | Canada | Phoenix Suns (3) |
| 2006–07 | Dirk Nowitzki* | Power forward | Germany | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2007–08 | Kobe Bryant* | Shooting guard | United States | Los Angeles Lakers (8) |
| 2008–09 | LeBron James^ | Small forward | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2009–10 | LeBron James^ (2) | Small forward | United States | Cleveland Cavaliers (2) |
| 2010–11 | Derrick Rose† | Point guard | United States | Chicago Bulls (6) |
| 2011–12 † | LeBron James^ (3) | Small forward | United States | Miami Heat |
| 2012–13 † | LeBron James^ (4) | Small forward | United States | Miami Heat (2) |
| 2013–14 | Kevin Durant^ | Small forward | United States | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2014–15 † | Stephen Curry^ | Point guard | United States | Golden State Warriors (2) |
| 2015–16 | Stephen Curry^ (2) | Point guard | United States | Golden State Warriors (3) |
| 2016–17 | Russell Westbrook^ | Point guard | United States | Oklahoma City Thunder (2) |
| 2017–18 | James Harden^ | Shooting guard | United States | Houston Rockets (4) |
| 2018–19 | Giannis Antetokounmpo^ | Power forward | Greece | Milwaukee Bucks (4) |
| 2019–20 | Giannis Antetokounmpo^ (2) | Power forward | Greece | Milwaukee Bucks (5) |
| 2020–21 | Nikola Jokić^ | Center | Serbia | Denver Nuggets |
| 2021–22 | Nikola Jokić^ (2) | Center | Serbia | Denver Nuggets (2) |
| 2022–23 | Joel Embiid^ | Center | Cameroon | Philadelphia 76ers (7) |
| 2023–24 | Nikola Jokić^ (3) | Center | Serbia | Denver Nuggets (3) |
| 2024–25 † | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander^ | Point guard | Canada | Oklahoma City Thunder (3) |
Multiple-time winners
| Awards | Player | Team(s) | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks (3) / Los Angeles Lakers (3) | 1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980 |
| 5 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998 |
| Bill Russell | Boston Celtics | 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965 | |
| 4 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors (1) / Philadelphia 76ers (3) | 1960, 1966, 1967, 1968 |
| LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers (2) / Miami Heat (2) | 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013 | |
| 3 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | 1984, 1985, 1986 |
| Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers | 1987, 1989, 1990 | |
| Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets | 2021, 2022, 2024 | |
| Moses Malone | Houston Rockets (2) / Philadelphia 76ers (1) | 1979, 1982, 1983 | |
| 2 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | 2019, 2020 |
| Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | 2015, 2016 | |
| Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | 2002, 2003 | |
| Karl Malone | Utah Jazz | 1997, 1999 | |
| Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns | 2005, 2006 | |
| Bob Pettit | St. Louis Hawks | 1956, 1959 |
Teams
| Awards | Teams | Years |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Boston Celtics | 1957, 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1973, 1984, 1985, 1986 |
| 8 | Los Angeles Lakers | 1976, 1977, 1980, 1987, 1989, 1990, 2000, 2008 |
| 7 | Philadelphia 76ers | 1966, 1967, 1968, 1981, 1983, 2001, 2023 |
| 6 | Chicago Bulls | 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2011 |
| 5 | Milwaukee Bucks | 1971, 1972, 1974, 2019, 2020 |
| 4 | Houston Rockets | 1979, 1982, 1994, 2018 |
| 3 | Denver Nuggets | 2021, 2022, 2024 |
| Philadelphia / Golden State Warriors | 1960, 2015, 2016 | |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | 2014, 2017, 2025 | |
| Phoenix Suns | 1993, 2005, 2006 | |
| San Antonio Spurs | 1995, 2002, 2003 | |
| 2 | St. Louis Hawks (now Atlanta Hawks) | 1956, 1959 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 2009, 2010 | |
| Miami Heat | 2012, 2013 | |
| Utah Jazz | 1997, 1999 | |
| 1 | Baltimore Bullets (now Washington Wizards) | 1969 |
| Buffalo Braves (now Los Angeles Clippers) | 1975 | |
| Cincinnati Royals (now Sacramento Kings) | 1964 | |
| Dallas Mavericks | 2007 | |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 2004 | |
| New York Knicks | 1970 | |
| Portland Trail Blazers | 1978 | |
| 0 | Brooklyn Nets | None |
| Charlotte Hornets | ||
| Detroit Pistons | ||
| Indiana Pacers | ||
| Memphis Grizzlies | ||
| New Orleans Pelicans | ||
| Orlando Magic | ||
| Toronto Raptors |
See also
- Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award
- NBA Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award
- NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant Most Valuable Player Award
- NBA G League Most Valuable Player Award
- NBL (United States) Most Valuable Player Award
- NBA records
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