Multiple NBA Finals MVPs
The biggest winners on the brightest stage
(I wrote this in April 2021 — so perhaps this explains why some information would seem less than up to date…)
A. Introduction
If you are one of the NBA’s greatest players of all time, you should have won its grand prize — the NBA championship — multiple times.
And not only would you have won the championship multiple times (hello Robert Horry) — you should be judged as the player whose game had the most impact in delivering victory on that highest stage — aka the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (FMVP).
B. My list of ten (10) greatest players and their FMVPs
Of the individuals I consider to be the top 10 greatest NBA players of all time, only 2 do not have multiple final MVPs. And there are good reasons for this:
- Bill Russell
Bill Russell played in the NBA between 1956 and 1969, and in those 13 seasons, won 11 championships. No one else in NBA history has the same number of championships (or more). And yet he has no FMVPs.
Why is this? Well, the FMVP award was not instituted until his final year as a player — and it was given in that year to a player from the losing team (the only time in the award’s history) — Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers (whose silhouette adorns the NBA logo).
Oh, and there’s something else — I skipped this little fact in my introduction — the FMVP Award was renamed the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 2009.
One can only imagine how many FMVPs Bill would have won…
- Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt. He is perhaps the single greatest player in NBA history from a statistical standpoint: no one put up numbers like he did or holds NBA records like he does.
Wilt was the NBA’s impossible player:
- he holds the record for the highest number of points in a single game (you may have seen a photo of him holding a piece of paper with the number 100 written on it), which he did in 1962
- he holds the record for the highest single season scoring average — 50.4 points, also in 1962 (for comparison, Michael Jordan’s highest single season scoring average is 37.1 points)
- he holds the top 3 single season scoring averages of all time, as well as 4 of the top 5, and 5 of the top 7
However, his individual exploits on the hardwood did not necessarily translate to championships (he won 2) and he is a 1-time FMVP winner (1972). Why is this?
- He had a similar fate of timing as Bill Russell — Wilt played 14 seasons between 1959 and 1973 (recall no FMVP award until 1969)
- He suffered 4 Finals defeats — Wilt got to the NBA Finals 6 times, losing 4 of those (in 1964, 1969, 1970 and 1973). Of those 4, 2 losses were to Bill Russell and his Boston Celtics, and the other 2 to Willis Reed and the New York Knicks. Recall in 1969, the award went to his teammate, Jerry West
- His first championship came in 1967, and while there was no FMVP award at the time, a case could be made that he should have won it, if it existed
- His second championship (and sole FMVP) came in 1972 as part of the Los Angeles Lakers team that had the greatest single season winning streak of all time (33 games), and the third best regular season record of all time (69–13) behind the 1996 Chicago Bulls (72–10) and the 2016 Golden State Warriors (73–9)
The other 8 players on my list and the number of FMVPs they’ve won?
- Michael Jordan (6)
- LeBron James (4)
- Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson (3)
- Shaquille O’Neal (3)
- Tim Duncan (3)
- Kobe Bryant (2)
- Larry Bird (2)
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (2)
C. The other multiple FMVPs
Now, having multiple FMVPs does not necessarily translate to being a member of the elite top 10 club. For one, that club is limited by number; secondly, it is possible to have multiple final MVPs without having a complete body of work in your career that catapults you into the top 10 club.
That said, here are 4 players with multiple final MVPs that are not in my top ten:
Retired players (no of FMVPs)
1. Hakeem Olajuwon (2) — Underrated basketball talent. Supremely talented on defense, and relentless on offense. Excellent footwork enabled him move as quick as a guard while having the body of a center. Won 2 championships in 1993–94 and 1994–1995 seasons (when Michael Jordan — aka The Black Cat — took a hiatus to play baseball). In my top 11–20 list.
2. Willis Reed (2) — I don’t know much about his career. He played with the New York Knicks between 1964 and 74, and won 2 championships with them (1970, 1973). One of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.
Active players (no of FMVPs)
1. Kevin Durant (2) — In my top 11–20 list. Extremely skilled scorer from midrange, 3 point and free throws. Perhaps the most versatile scorer the game has seen to date. Won his FMVPs and championships (2017, 2018) as part of the wildly successful Golden State Warriors teams of the late 2010s.
2. Kawhi Leonard (2) — Difficult for me to rank. A relative unknown when he entered the league in 2011 (drafted 1st round with the 15th pick). Won his FMVPs as part of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty in 2014, and with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Started his career as a defensive stopper and built his offensive prowess over time. Midrange game a throwback to Michael Jordan.
D. You’re the Real MVP
It is probably well known that Michael Jordan went to 6 NBA Finals, and that he came out tops in all 6. But the other thing about his finals records that burnishes Jordan’s GOAT credentials — he was the FMVP winner in all 6 championships. That is, he was judged to be the best player on the winning team 6 times. None of the other players on my top 10 can claim this — a 100% winning record in the NBA Finals + being the NBA Finals MVP 100% of the times their team won.
E. The Up and Comers
That is, who are the active NBA players with FMVPs that are likely to increase their tally, as well as those who could make the list? This is entirely speculative, and I would not be surprised if none of these pans out. That said:
The only active players with at least 1 NBA Finals MVP are Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, LeBron James and Andre Iguodala (1). Of these 4, I would expect Kevin Durant to be the player with the best chance of increasing his tally, followed by Kawhi Leonard. This is based on:
- The strength of their current teams: Durant’s Nets are currently top 2 in the Eastern Conference and are considered favorites to win the championship this year; while Leonard’s Clippers are top 3 in the West. I consider that the Nets have a better chance of getting to the finals multiple times in the next 3 seasons than the Clippers do
- Their ages and how much more time I expect they have left in their NBA careers: Durant is 32 and could conceivably play at a high level for the next 3 years, probably retiring in 5–6 years. Leonard has a better chance here, being younger at 29, and could be playing NBA basketball for the next 8 years
How about players who don’t have a FMVP right now?
If I was to review multiple FMVP data 20 years from now, who would I not be surprised to find on the list?
- James Harden — Excellent performance for the Nets as the point guard. He is an elite scorer, with single season scoring averages of over 30 PPG 3 times in his 12-year career. He is also adept at distribution — leading the league in assists in 2016–17 and in the current season. He could conceivably upset Kevin Durant as the FMVP if the Nets win it all
- Giannis Antetokounmpo — A 2 time back to back regular season MVP (RMVP), and one of only 3 players in NBA history to win RMVP and Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) in the same year (the other 2 are Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon). He has not had much success in the post season in his career so far, but if he figures it out, watch out
- Joel Embiid — Great combination of post presence and outside touch rarely seen in a big. And he makes his free throws. Oh, and he can shoot the three. Injury and health concerns have dogged him through his career though; would be interesting to see how it all pans out
- Luca Doncic — Only 3 years into his NBA career and averaging close to 26 PPG. Runs the Mavericks offence smoothly. Season assist (8.8) and rebound (7.9) averages are not too shabby either
- Nikola Jokic — Great combination of shooting and passing in a big. Top 5 in assists in the league this season and leads all centers in this stat by a wide margin. Point center for the Nuggets, if you will. What Magic Johnson would look like if he was playing center today? (Genius point from Isiah Thomas)
- Zion Williamson — The most hyped draft entry to the league since LeBron and living up to the billing. Drives to the basket are rather difficult to stop. Averaging 25 points for his first 2 seasons in the NBA