A History of Top-Two MVP Finishes

11 min readMay 14, 2022

Editor’s Note — This article was originally published in February 2021 and does not reflect the 2021 and 2022 MVP results.

The first series of articles in our review of NBA MVPs highlighted the players who finished as runner-up for the prestigious award. While this served as a logical starting point, the method was flawed in that the results penalized the real-life winners for… well, winning, and that feels off. This was most evident in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s plummet from six real MVP wins to just one hypothetical win. Fortunately, the remedy is simple — Let’s place equal value on both first and second place. This will allow us to retain the value of actually winning the award while still recognizing the accomplishment of being the second-best player in the league throughout the course of a season. This straightforward approach will serve as the basis for the second entry in our series on NBA MVPs.

In today’s article, we’ll confine our data to just first and second place finishes. We’ll then expand outward in the next few articles to include third, fourth, and fifth place finishers before closing with an overarching review of the historical MVP rankings and how they’ve impacted players’ legacies.

Lastly, given how many players factor into these reflections, it will be difficult to fit analyses of each of them into every article. As such, I’ll highlight an appealing aspect or two of each section and I’ll try to cover as many of the individual players as possible. Let’s get to it!

Hypothetical — What if the MVP award recognized the two best players in the league each year instead of the single best?

Note — MVP-winning seasons listed in bold

Eight Top-Two Finishes

LeBron James (2006, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2020)
Michael Jordan (1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1998)

It feels fitting to have these two sitting atop the leaderboard. Of course, as of this writing, LeBron is still more than capable of increasing his total to nine to take sole leadership. For now, these two legends share top spot in this exercise, though they did so in differing styles…

LeBron’s staggeringly consistent production over the course of a decade and a half is the first thing to jump out in this section. LeBron’s earliest top-two finish in 2006 is fifteen(!) seasons apart from his most recent top-two finish in 2020. The player with the next longest-spanning stretch between top-two finishes is Jordan with twelve seasons separating his first in 1987 and his last in 1998, a full three seasons shorter than LeBron’s record! LeBron’s longevity is astounding, and it may be a long time until we see another player combine both the early career success and late career durability that LeBron has illustrated with this achievement.

While LeBron’s amazing run of top-two finishes spans fifteen seasons (with the potential to go even longer), Jordan only played fifteen total seasons in the NBA. Furthermore, if we discount Jordan’s injury-plagued sophomore season in 85–86 and his half-retired comeback season in 94–95, then we’re left with thirteen full seasons of Michael Jordan. With eight top-two finishes in these thirteen full seasons, Jordan’s rate of return of top-two finishes is matched by only one other player in league history (more on that in the next section!). This incredible consistency as a top-two player supports the aura of Jordan’s relentless, unwavering desire to be the best night in, night out. It also indicates that the only sure ways to prevent him from being one of the two best players in the league over the course of a season were to injure him or to pray that he retired. And on top of all of that, if he simply hadn’t played those two Wizards seasons then his rate of return would have been eight top-two finishes in eleven full seasons, which would easily have been the best ever and likely untouchable.

Seven Top-Two Finishes

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980)
Larry Bird (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988)
Bill Russell (1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965)

The only player to match Jordan’s rate of return of top-two finishes is Bird. When discounting his injury-shortened 88–89 and 91–92 seasons, Bird accomplished seven top-two finishes in eleven full seasons. Meanwhile, Bill Russell is right behind both of them. When we discount Russell’s rookie season, in which he missed the first half of the year in order to maintain his amateur eligibility and play in the 1956 Olympics, he accomplished seven top-two finishes in twelve seasons. All in all, if Jordan, Bird, or Russell played a full season, then they were more than likely going to be one of the two best players over the course of the campaign.

It is incredibly unlikely for a modern player to replicate this trio’s feat. Now that players are coming into the league younger than ever, even a generational talent like LeBron who walks into the league playing at an all-star level is unlikely to immediately garner MVP consideration. Additionally, even when we do have a generationally talented rookie receive MVP love right away, they are unlikely to maintain it over the course of a career now that players are able play much deeper into their 30s. Kareem illustrates this point perfectly. Kareem was an MVP candidate immediately after debuting as a rookie, but he gradually shifted into a role as a star contributor instead of an all-around superstar. This worked wonderfully for him, as he continued to rack up all-star games, All-NBA appearances, and championships, but his rate of return of top-two MVP finishes suffered.

Regardless, whether accomplished through longevity or a comparably brief but blazing prime, achieving seven top-two MVP finishes is a truly admirable success.

Six Top-Two Finishes

Wilt Chamberlain (1960, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1967, 1968)

It’s unfortunate that the Big Dipper’s career output has resulted in so much discordance. Both now and during his playing days, he’s embodied an existential basketball conundrum that often shoddily boils down to the concept that Wilt chose stats over winning. That being said, it’s tough not to appreciate, or even completely marvel, at Wilt’s prodigious statistics, but it’s also tough not to poke holes in his game. Although I try to balance appreciation and pragmatism regarding Wilt’s mind-boggling numbers, his MVP finishes often unfortunately become another emblematic facet of his career’s divisiveness… While we should be appreciative of his six top-two finishes, his years outside of the top two are often scrutinized as much, if not more, as his years in the top two are lauded. In 1960–61, Wilt averaged 38/27/2, led the league in win shares, and led his team to a winning record but finished fourth in MVP voting, including behind Elgin Baylor despite Baylor’s Lakers having a losing record. In 1962–63, he averaged 45/24/3 and led the league in win shares but had a losing record and finished seventh in MVP voting. And in 1964–65, he averaged 34/23/3 but his Warriors team was so bad that he was traded midseason.

I’ve always loved Wilt’s melancholic quote, “Nobody roots for Goliath” and felt that it perfectly encapsulates his career. The sheer volume of his stats commands reverence, but it also unreasonably raises expectations. So however you choose to view Wilt, be it underachieving stat-hog or unassailable hoop titan, just remember that no player has even been held to loftier standards.

Five Top-Two Finishes

Magic Johnson (1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991)

It’s very possible that Magic would’ve been higher on this list had his career not shockingly ended in the middle of his prime due to his HIV positivity. Nevertheless, Magic still finishes comfortably among the other greats of the game with five top-two finishes. Additionally, Magic is the highest ranked point guard in this exercise. As we’ll see throughout this series, point guards don’t get much love when it comes to MVP awards. However, Magic’s large frame, flashiness, and, of course, winning allowed him to buck the trend and shine a light on the value a game-changing, playmaking point guard can provide. However, in the years since his retirement, point guards have reverted to just the occasional win. All in all, Magic’s ability to overcome misconceptions about a point guard’s value in a big man’s league and regularly finish among the league’s top two players further cements his claim to the crown of best point guard ever.

Four Top-Two Finishes

Tim Duncan (2001, 2002, 2003, 2004)
Kevin Durant (2010, 2012, 2013, 2014)
James Harden (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019)
Bob Pettit (1956, 1957, 1959, 1961)
Jerry West (1966, 1970, 1971, 1972)

This section brings us the first appearance of a player who never actually won the award. Jerry West’s four runner-up finishes double the next closest non-winner — George Gervin with two. Considering West also has the record for most NBA Finals losses with eight(!), he can reasonably stake a claim as one of the most unfortunate players in league history (at least among players experiencing good health). Had just one of those MVP awards or finals gone differently, West’s legacy would have been drastically different. I’m far from the first to comment on West’s misfortune, but it nevertheless remains fascinating to consider his absurd number of second-place finishes.

It is possible for either Durant or Harden to add to their total. However, as of this writing, they’ve recently become teammates with the Brooklyn Nets and will likely cannibalize each other’s MVP chances. Durant’s career retrospective will be particularly interesting if he fails to add to his total of four top-two finishes. Since winning the award in 2014, Durant has remained generally accepted as a top-five player in the league. The 2014–15 and 2019–20 seasons were lost to injury, but it is surprising that despite four opportunities to add to his total finishes in the top two from 2016 through 2019, Durant has remained stuck at four. Obviously, that timeframe matches perfectly with his tenure with the Golden State Warriors, where Stephen Curry’s presence likely prevented him from accomplishing higher MVP finishes, similar to how Harden is likely to prevent him now. I’m sure Durant would gladly take his two championships with the Warriors over additional top-two MVP finishes, but I’m also sure that a majority of NBA fans in 2014 would have been shocked to hear that Durant may never again finish in the top two.

Three Top-Two Finishes

Kevin Garnett (2000, 2003, 2004)
Karl Malone (1997, 1998, 1999)
Moses Malone (1979, 1982, 1983)
Bob McAdoo (1974, 1975, 1976)
Steve Nash (2005, 2006, 2007)
Shaquille O’Neal (1995, 2000, 2005)
David Robinson (1994, 1995, 1996)

Earlier, we highlighted LeBron’s record for longest-spanning stretch between seasons with a top-two MVP finish with fifteen. Jordan was the closest to LeBron with a stretch of twelve seasons, but Shaq is right behind him with eleven seasons separating his first in 1995 and his last in 2005. This eleven-year stretch is arguably just as impressive as LeBron’s and Jordan’s streaks. The beatings Shaq had to have taken over the years must have been abundant, with wave after wave of big men resorting to pummeling him in an (often futile) attempt to at least slow him down. Shaq’s early years in Orlando saw him face off with historically great bruisers like Charles Oakley and historically great defenders like Hakeem Olajuwon and his later years had him squaring up against the likes of Ben Wallace and Kevin Garnett, as well as the implementation of hack-a-Shaq. Given his size, frame, weight, and well-known insouciance when it came to conditioning, it’s amazing that Shaq was able to put together top-two MVP finishes so far apart.

In addition to Shaq, this section is a murders row of all-time great big men, which makes Steve Nash’s inclusion stick out. Depending on how you view James Harden and Jerry West positionally, Nash is the first true point guard to make an appearance in this exercise since Magic Johnson. This further highlights the lack of love the little guys typically receive when it comes to MVP voting, but it also stresses how impactful and well-respected Nash and the mid-00s Suns had to be for a pass-first point guard to win the award. Nash’s ascent to MVP triumph, and the Suns’ ensuing ascent in NBA lore, represented a sea change for the NBA and laid the groundwork for the small ball era. Nash, standing a full six inches shorter than his counterparts in this section, is a simple but telling reminder of just how groundbreaking those Suns teams were.

Two Top-Two Finishes

Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019, 2020)
Charles Barkley (1990, 1993)
Kobe Bryant (2008, 2009)
Dave Cowens (1973, 1975)
Stephen Curry (2015, 2016)
Julius Erving (1980, 1981)
George Gervin (1978, 1979)
Hakeem Olajuwon (1993, 1994)
Willis Reed (1969, 1970)
Oscar Robertson (1964, 1965)
Bill Walton (1977, 1978)

Charles Barkley sticks out in this section for two reasons. First, Barkley is the only player to achieve his top-two finishes with different franchises. Second, he is the only player in this section to achieve his top-two finishes more than three seasons apart from each other. In fact, nine of the eleven players in this section earned their top-two finishes in consecutive seasons. At surface level, these points seem mundane, but I feel that they add a new veneer to the Chuckster’s accomplishment.

Barkley is the only player in this section who was dogged with questions over his effort and conditioning on a regular basis. How does a guy like Barkley, whose most popular nickname compares him to a “round mound,” find himself top two in MVP voting four years apart, particularly when his fitter peers are more likely to only achieve this feat in consecutive years? It’s incredible that poor conditioning didn’t prevent Barkley from reaching top-two status, but it’s even more incredible that poor conditioning didn’t seem to shorten his prime.

Additionally, every other player in this section was an exemplar of service to their franchises. While some of the other players could be occasionally prickly like Kobe or Oscar or experienced periodic friction with management like Hakeem and Walton, every single one is a franchise icon and remains beloved by their fanbases. None of them found themselves in a situation where they were on a different team in the middle of their primes. They didn’t force trades or find themselves despised by a former team like Barkley was with the 76ers and Philadelphians.

The point is, Barkley had a lot to overcome in terms of optics, and optics are a big part of MVP voting. He was a brash, doughy renegade who forced trades and occasionally got in trouble off the court. That can be PR suicide! Yet MVP voters still couldn’t deny his value and Barkley still finds himself in this section in the company of media darlings like Steph, physical marvels like Giannis, and workout warriors like Kobe. Overall, Barkley’s career was one-of-a-kind. He is widely appreciated today, but I think he likely deserves a bit more credit for how unique his career was… even if he may have played a big role in his career being undervalued in the first place.

One Top-Two Finish

Paul Arizin (1956), Elgin Baylor (1963), Bob Cousy (1957), Clyde Drexler (1992), Dwight Howard (2011), Allen Iverson (2001), Jason Kidd (2002), Bernard King (1984), Kawhi Leonard (2016), Alonzo Mourning (1999), Dirk Nowitzki (2007), Chris Paul (2008), Derrick Rose (2011), Dolph Schayes (1958), Nate Thurmond (1967), Wes Unseld (1969), Russell Westbrook (2017), Lenny Wilkens (1968), Dominique Wilkins (1986)

The first thing to note in this section is that Arizin, Cousy, and Schayes all possibly could have had additional top-two finishes had the award existed prior to 1956. Each of these players were standouts in the early 1950s and likely would’ve been in MVP contention for at least one season within that time frame. Similarly, players like Larry Foust, Neil Johnston, Bob Davies, and Ed Macauley may have had appearances on this list had the MVP award existed earlier. But the biggest highlight is reserved for George Mikan. It is very likely that Mikan would have had several MVP wins if the award had existed pre-1956. These omissions highlight the need for a future entry in this MVP series to shine some light on the players who missed out on MVP immortality due to the league’s baffling reluctance to implement the award until 1956.

Also, not all MVP races are created equal… Jason Kidd and Alonzo Mourning finished as runners-up in two of the most tightly contested MVP races ever, so these two were particularly close to MVP glory. Conversely, Kawhi Leonard, Nate Thurmond, and Dominique Wilkins finished second in MVP races that all rank among the ten most lopsided ever, so their near misses with the trophy are a bit deceiving. Nevertheless, all three of them had fantastic seasons (and careers!) and remain well-deserved inclusions in this group.

That’ll do it for this hypothetical! We’ll return in our next edition with an expanded look at the top-three finishers throughout MVP voting history. Take care!