The NBA MVP Award, Hall of Fame
Here is the hall of fame with all the players who have won the Most Valuable Player award
The NBA MVP Race Award, which stands for Most Valuable Player, is one of the most prestigious honors in the NBA basketball world and is awarded each year to the best player of the Regular Season.
History of the NBA MVP Race
The MVP award was first awarded at the end of the 1955-56 season and was established in honor of Maurice Podoloff, the first commissioner and later president of the NBA from 1946 to 1963.
The first recipient of the MVP award was Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks, who had an incredible season with an average of 25.7 points and 16.2 rebounds per game. Over the years, many other great names in the NBA have received this prestigious award. Among them are legends like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.
One of the most memorable moments in the history of the MVP award was when Michael Jordan won his fifth consecutive MVP in the 1997-98 season, finishing with an average of 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, leading his Chicago Bulls to their third consecutive NBA title that season.
There have been some controversial moments in the history of the MVP award. For example, in the 1977-78 season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had an incredible season with an average of 24.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. However, the MVP award was given to Bill Walton of the Portland Trail Blazers, who had an equally impressive season but with slightly lower statistics.
Who awards the MVP prize?
The NBA MVP award is not just a matter of statistics. The voters of the award, who are composed of a combination of NBA journalists and analysts, take into consideration many factors including the player’s ability to lead his team to success, his leadership on the court, and his importance to the team.
Who has won the most MVP in the NBA?
The player who holds the most MVP titles is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with an impressive 6 titles, received between 1971 and 1980, leaving behind legends such as Bill Russell and Michael Jordan, who are tied at 5 (Most MVP Winners of all time).
List of NBA MVP Winners
| Season | Player | Team |
| 1956 | Bob Pettit | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1957 | Bob Cousy | Boston Celtics |
| 1958 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics |
| 1959 | Bob Pettit | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1960 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1961 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics |
| 1962 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics |
| 1963 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics |
| 1964 | Oscar Robertson | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1965 | Bill Russell | Boston Celtics |
| 1966 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1967 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1968 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1969 | Wes Unseld | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1970 | Willis Reed | New York Knicks |
| 1971 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1972 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1973 | Dave Cowens | Boston Celtics |
| 1974 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1975 | Bob McAdoo | Buffalo Braves |
| 1976 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1977 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1978 | Bill Walton | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1979 | Moses Malone | Houston Rockets |
| 1980 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1981 | Julius Erving | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1982 | Moses Malone | Houston Rockets |
| 1983 | Moses Malone | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1984 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics |
| 1985 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics |
| 1986 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics |
| 1987 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1988 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1989 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1990 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1991 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1992 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1993 | Charles Barkley | Phoenix Suns |
| 1994 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets |
| 1995 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1996 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1997 | Karl Malone | Utah Jazz |
| 1998 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1999 | Karl Malone | Utah Jazz |
| 2000 | Shaquille O’Neal | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2001 | Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2002 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2003 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2004 | Kevin Garnett | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2005 | Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns |
| 2006 | Steve Nash | Phoenix Suns |
| 2007 | Dirk Nowitzki | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2008 | Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2009 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2010 | LeBron James | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2011 | Derrick Rose | Chicago Bulls |
| 2012 | LeBron James | Miami Heat |
| 2013 | LeBron James | Miami Heat |
| 2014 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors |
| 2015 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
| 2016 | Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors |
| 2017 | Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2018 | James Harden | Houston Rockets |
| 2019 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2020 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2021 | Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets |
| 2022 | Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets |
| 2023 | Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers |
Other interesting facts about the most coveted personal award for every player:
- Moses Malone is the only player to win the MVP award with two different teams in two consecutive seasons (the Sixers and the Rockets);
- Steph Curry is the only player to win the MVP award unanimously, in 2016;
- Derrick Rose was the youngest MVP in NBA history, winning the award at the age of 22 in 2011;
- Karl Malone was the oldest MVP in NBA history, winning it at 35 years old in 1999;
- Bill Walton and James Harden are the only players to have won both the Sixth Man of the Year award and the MVP;
- Nikola Jokic, by winning the MVP award last season (and again this year), is the player selected with the lowest draft pick to win the MVP award (the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft).