The NBA Finals MVP award was introduced in 1969. It is an award that is given to the player that is deemed to be the most valuable player in the NBA Finals. This award can be given to a player on either team, although there is only one extremely rare instance in which a player from the losing team received the award.
That player is Jerry West, the only winner of an NBA Finals most valuable player award while playing for a losing team. West was also the inaugural recipient of the award. He won the most valuable player award for the 1969 NBA Finals, despite his team being defeated in seven games by the Boston Celtics.
In this series, West averaged 37.9 points, 7.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game. West may very well go down in NBA history as the only person that will ever win a finals MVP award while being on a losing team.
Who is the Finals MVP award named after?
Bill Russell won eleven NBA Finals during his career, which is why they named the Finals MVP Award (NBA FMVP) after him. To make this stat even more impressive, he only played in the league for 13 seasons. However, Russell retired having never won an NBA Finals most valuable player award. In Russell’s defense, there was only one year during his playing career in which the award was around. That year was 1969, and of course, Jerry West won the award.
Although he never won the award himself, Bill Russell is still attached to the award. In 2009, then NBA commissioner David Stern announced that the award would be named the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. There was a tradition of Russell being present at the trophy ceremony after the conclusion of the NBA Finals in which he would present the award to its rightful recipient. However, this tradition was put to an end due to COVID-19. Although he will hopefully be able to make it to the next Finals.
Notorious NBA Finals MVP Winners
There are a handful of players that stand out amongst the rest when the games matter most in the NBA Finals. One of those players is Magic Johnson. Johnson has the rare distinction of being the only rookie in the history of the league to ever win an NBA Finals most valuable player award. This is something that we likely will never see again as it was a perfect storm of things coming together to make Johnson winning that award possible.
Hakeem Olajuwon is one of the only international players to ever win a Finals MVP award. Along with this, he is one of the only players to ever win a Finals MVP in two consecutive seasons or more. Olajuwon is the only finals MVP to come from Nigeria.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had one of the longest careers in the history of the league. One of these feats of longevity was becoming the oldest player to ever win an NBA Finals MVP. Abdul-Jabbar was 38 years and 54 days old when he became the oldest Finals MVP winner in the history of the league.
Which NBA player has the most finals MVP awards?
Michael Jordan has arguably the most impressive NBA Finals resume than any other player that has touched the floor. He made six trips to the NBA Finals and is the only winner of six Finals MVP awards.
Arguably the most impressive thing about this run is that it was split up into two three-year runs as Jordan took time to retire from the game to pursue his childhood dream of playing professional baseball.
Although Jordan could not lead the Bulls back to the NBA Finals his first year back from retirement, the following three years, the Bulls were NBA champions. Up to this point, Jordan still leads the Finals MVP list. With the current shape that the Los Angeles Lakers are in paired with LeBron James being 36 years old, it appears that Jordan will be holding onto his first-place rank for the foreseeable future.
LeBron James
LeBron James is one of the few players in NBA history to have 4+ championships while winning Finals MVP in every single championship he won. James is the only player in NBA history to win Finals MVP for 3+ teams.
James still has a lot of gas in the tank, however, he is getting to the age that it is very difficult to win a championship while still being the best player on the team. We have seen James beat father time over and over again, however, it will be a very uphill battle to catch Jordan before old age forces him into retirement.
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki has one of the most impressive single-season playoffs runs in the history of the league. In one championship run, he eliminated Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. To put the cherry on top, Dirk was the only all-star player on this team and he finished the runoff being named the Finals MVP.
Finals MVP Award Team
The Los Angeles Lakers have been head and shoulders in front of any other franchise when it comes to Finals MVPs. Despite being tied with the Boston Celtics for the most championships in the history of the NBA, the Lakers still currently have seven more Finals MVPs in their teams’ history than Boston.
All of the players that played for the Lakers and went on to become Finals MVPs while on the team are Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson (three times), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Shaquille O’Neal (three times), Kobe Bryant (twice), and LeBron James.
Who won MVP NBA Finals 2020?
The 2020-2021 Finals saw a first-time Finals MVP in the form of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks had an incredible playoff run in which they defeated the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, and Phoenix Suns. Many suspected either Kevin Durant and the Nets or LeBron James and the Lakers to bring home the championship, however, Giannis elevated to a whole new level for himself and carried the Bucks to a championship and gave earned his first career Finals MVP.
NBA Finals MVP Award FAQ
Here are some of the most popular questions about NBA Finals MVP Award:
When is NBA Finals MVP announced?
A panel of eleven media members votes for the winner after the Finals have concluded. The votes are cast as soon as the last game finishes, and whoever has the most votes at the end is named the winner.
Who keeps the NBA Finals MVP trophy?
Players get to keep the NBA Finals MVP Awards. The winner team members, including staff, will have their own NBA rings, too. The beginning of this practice was in the NBA’s first championship league in 1947. Since this season, they have rewarded every NBA tournament with championship rings.
How many NBA Finals MVP does Bill Russell have?
Even though he won 11 NBA championships, the NBA Finals MVP Award wasn’t established when Bill Russell retired. That year, in 1969, Jerry West had won the award, becoming the first-ever winner of the NBA Finals MVP trophy.
Did Bill Russell ever win MVP?
Yes, Bill Russell won the NBA Most Valuable Player award five times in his career. He was named MVP in 1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1965. Russell was also a 12-time All-Star and a 11-time NBA champion. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in NBA history.
Who has been NBA Finals MVP the most times?
Michael Jordan holds the record for the most Finals MVP Awards, with six wins. Jordan won his first three championship titles between the 1990-91 and 1992-93 seasons. He then retired from basketball in 1993, but returned to the game in 1995 and led the Chicago Bulls to three more championships between 1996 and 1998.
How many finals MVPs does LeBron have?
LeBron James has achieved a feat unparalleled in the history of the NBA: four Finals MVP titles, all with different teams. His record-breaking streak of championship wins is made even more impressive by the fact that each time he was crowned champion, he also earned the coveted Finals MVP title. The Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers have all benefited from James’ exceptional skill on the court.
