NBA Most Valuable Player

Since the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jordan Trophy, named after the five-time MVP often considered to be the greatest player in NBA history.

[1][2] Prior to 2021, the winner received the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which was named in honor of the first commissioner (then president)[a] of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963.

Every player who has won this award and deemed eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has been inducted.

[9] Seven players who won MVP (combining for eleven total awards) are considered "international players" by the NBA: Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria,[b] Duncan of the U.S. Virgin Islands,[c] Nash of Canada,[d] Dirk Nowitzki of Germany, Antetokounmpo of Greece, Jokić of Serbia, and Embiid of Cameroon.

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".

Bill Russell (left) won the award five times in his NBA career. Wilt Chamberlain (center) won the award four times in his career.
Bob Pettit was the first player to win multiple MVP awards.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record-setting six times in his career.
Larry Bird was the last player to win the award in three consecutive years.
Hakeem Olajuwon is one of three players to win the NBA MVP and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in the same season.
Michael Jordan won the NBA MVP five times.
Derrick Rose became the youngest player to ever win the award at age 22.
LeBron James is a four-time NBA MVP.
Stephen Curry won back-to-back MVP awards in 2014–15 and 2015–16. He is the first unanimous MVP selection in league history. [ 19 ]
Giannis Antetokounmpo won back-to-back MVP awards in 2018–19 and 2019–20.
Nikola Jokić won three MVP awards in 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2023–24. He became one of only two players to be selected in the second round of the NBA draft to win the award.