NBA Most Valuable Player

{{short description|National Basketball Association award}}

{{about|the regular season award|other MVP awards given by the NBA}}

{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}

{{use American English|date=January 2021}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}

{{NBA awards}}

{{Infobox sports award

| name = NBA Most Valuable Player

| image = Bob McAdoo MVP.jpeg

| alt =

| caption = Bob McAdoo and his 1974–75 NBA Most Valuable Player trophy

| sport = Basketball

| league = National Basketball Association

| givenfor = Best performing player in regular season of the National Basketball Association

| first = {{NBA Year|1955}}

| mostwins = Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6)

| mostrecent = Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder ({{nbay|2024|end}})

}}

The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Since the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jordan Trophy, named after the five-time MVP.{{cite web |title=NBA unveils The Michael Jordan Trophy to awarded to Kia MVP |url=https://www.nba.com/news/nba-unveils-6-new-kia-performance-award-winner-trophies |website=NBA.com |access-date=13 December 2022 |language=en |archive-date=February 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230220213413/https://www.nba.com/news/nba-unveils-6-new-kia-performance-award-winner-trophies |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Goldsberry |first1=Kirk |title=NBA renaming MVP after Jordan in awards update |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35243492/nba-naming-mvp-michael-jordan-top-awards-reimagined |access-date=13 December 2022 |work=ESPN.com |date=13 December 2022 |language=en |archive-date=January 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230107175444/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35243492/nba-naming-mvp-michael-jordan-top-awards-reimagined |url-status=live }}

Prior to 2021, the winner received the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which was named in honor of the first commissioner (then president){{efn|The official title of the position was President until 1967 when it was renamed to Commissioner.{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/commissioners.html |title=The Commissioners|access-date=July 8, 2008 |publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc |work=NBA.com |author=Monroe, Mike|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120729053807/http://www.nba.com/history/commissioners.html|archive-date=July 29, 2012|url-status=dead}}}} of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963. With the switch to the Michael Jordan Trophy, his name was moved to a new Maurice Podoloff Trophy given to the team with the best regular season record.{{cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/news/nba-unveils-redesigned-trophies-for-end-of-season-awards|title=NBA unveils redesigned trophies for end-of-season awards|work=NBA.com|publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc|access-date=December 6, 2022|archive-date=December 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206164303/https://www.nba.com/news/nba-unveils-redesigned-trophies-for-end-of-season-awards|url-status=live}}

Until the {{nbay|1979|app=season}}, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since the {{nbay|1980|app=season}}, the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Each member of the voting panel casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is worth 10 points; each second-place vote is worth seven; each third-place vote is worth five, fourth-place is worth three and fifth-place is worth one. Starting from 2010, one ballot was cast by fans through online voting. The player with the highest point total wins the award.{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=5156199 |title=LeBron receives 116 first-place votes |date=May 2, 2010|access-date=May 2, 2010 |work=ESPN.com|archive-date=June 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624151052/http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5156199|url-status=live}} As of the {{nbay|2024|app=season}}, the current holder of the award is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Every player who has won this award and deemed eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has been inducted. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record six times.{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/abduljabbar_bio.html |title=Kareem Abdul-Jabbar|access-date=July 4, 2008 |publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc |work=NBA.com|archive-date=July 31, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731111524/http://www.nba.com/history/players/abduljabbar_bio.html|url-status=live}} He is also the only player to win the award despite his team not making the playoffs, in the {{nbay|1975|app=season}}. Both Bill Russell and Michael Jordan won the award five times,{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/awards_mvp.html |title=Most Valuable Player|access-date=July 4, 2008 |publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc |work=NBA.com|archive-date=May 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120528030559/http://www.nba.com/history/awards_mvp.html|url-status=live}} while Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James won the award four times. Russell and James are the only players to have won the award four times in five seasons. Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Nikola Jokić each won the award three times, while Bob Pettit, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo won it twice. Russell, Chamberlain, and Bird are the only players to win the award in three consecutive years. Only two rookies have won the award: Chamberlain ({{nbay|1959}}) and Wes Unseld (1968–69).{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/history/players/unseld_bio.html |title=Wes Unseld|access-date=July 4, 2008 |publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc |work=NBA.com|archive-date=May 6, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506053448/http://www.nba.com/history/players/unseld_bio.html|url-status=live}} Eight players who won MVP (combining for twelve total awards) are considered "international players" by the NBA: Hakeem Olajuwon of Nigeria,{{#tag:ref|Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Nigeria, but became a naturalized United States citizen in 1993. He was the first ever international player to win the award.{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/playerfile/hakeem_olajuwon/bio.html |title=Hakeem Olajuwon Bio: 1992–93 |access-date=June 15, 2008 |publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc |work=NBA.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516203041/http://www.nba.com/playerfile/hakeem_olajuwon/bio.html |archive-date=May 16, 2008}}|group=lower-alpha|name=note_b}} Duncan of the U.S. Virgin Islands,{{#tag:ref|Although Duncan was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands and is a United States citizen,{{cite web |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/virgin-islands/ |title=Virgin Islands |access-date=August 12, 2008 |publisher=CIA World Factbook |archive-date=January 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113025648/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/virgin-islands/ |url-status=live }} the NBA considers him an international player.{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/players/international_player_directory.html |title=NBA Players from around the world: 2005–2006 Season|access-date=March 13, 2011 |publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc |work=NBA.com|archive-date=October 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029055501/http://www.nba.com/players/international_player_directory.html|url-status=live}}|group=lower-alpha|name=note_c}} Nash of Canada,{{#tag:ref|Steve Nash, who was born in South Africa, was raised in Canada.{{cite web |url=http://www.nba.com/suns/news/fastbreak_nash_cover.html |title=The Canadian Kid|access-date=April 22, 2009 |last=McPeek |first=Jeramie |publisher=Turner Sports Interactive, Inc |work=NBA.com (from Fastbreak Magazine of Sept./Oct. 1996)|archive-date=May 11, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160511083521/http://www.nba.com/suns/news/fastbreak_nash_cover.html|url-status=live}}|group=lower-alpha|name=note_d}} Dirk Nowitzki of Germany, Antetokounmpo of Greece, Nikola Jokić of Serbia, Joel Embiid of Cameroon, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Canada.{{#tag:ref|Joel Embiid was born in Cameroon, but became a naturalized United States citizen in 2022.{{cite web |url=https://www.nba.com/news/76ers-star-joel-embiid-now-us-citizen |title=76ers star Joel Embiid now U.S. citizen |access-date=April 23, 2024 |work=NBA.com}}|group=lower-alpha|name=note_e}}

Stephen Curry (2015–16) is the only player to have won the award unanimously. Shaquille O'Neal (1999–2000) and LeBron James (2012–13) are the only two players to have fallen one vote shy of a unanimous selection, both receiving 120 of 121 votes.{{#tag:ref|Allen Iverson received the only other first-place vote in 2000, while Carmelo Anthony received the only other first-place vote in 2013.{{cite news |last=Wallace |first=Michael |title=LeBron James wins 4th MVP award |date=May 5, 2013 |work=ESPN.com |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs/2013/story/_/id/9244504/lebron-james-miami-heat-1-vote-shy-unanimous-mvp-honor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130505201808/http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2013/story/_/id/9244504/lebron-james-miami-heat-1-vote-shy-unanimous-mvp-honor |archive-date=May 5, 2013 |url-status=live}}|group=lower-alpha}} Since the {{nbay|1975|app=season}}, only three players have been named MVP for a season in which their team failed to win at least 50 regular season games—Moses Malone (twice, {{nbay|1978}} and {{nbay|1981}}), Russell Westbrook ({{nbay|2016}}) and Nikola Jokić ({{nbay|2021}}).Except for seasons affected by lockouts and COVID-19, when the schedule was shortened from the norm of 82 games. Karl Malone won in 1998–99 when Utah was 37–13 in 50 games, which projected to 60 wins in 82 games. James won in 2011–12 when the Miami Heat were 46–20 in 66 games, which projected to 57 wins. Nikola Jokić won in 2020–21 when Denver was 47–25 in 72 games, which projected to 54 wins in 82 games.{{cite news |title=Who is the leading MVP candidate? |date=March 6, 2015 |work=ESPN.com |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-150305/who-leading-mvp-candidate |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306153610/http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/5-on-5-150305/who-leading-mvp-candidate |archive-date=March 6, 2015 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last=Hubbard |first=Jan |title=NBA NOTES : Charles Barkley Running a Slick Campaign for MVP |date=April 22, 1990 |work=Newsday |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-22-sp-278-story.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150316021901/http://articles.latimes.com/print/1990-04-22/sports/sp-278_1_charles-barkley |archive-date=March 16, 2015 |url-status=live}}

As part of efforts to reduce load management for star players in the league, effective with the 2023–24 season, when a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and its players' union took effect, players must appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for most regular-season awards and honors, including MVP. To receive credit for a game for purposes of award eligibility, a player must have been credited with at least 20 minutes played. However, two "near misses", in which the player appeared for 15 to 19 minutes, can be included in the 65-game count. 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".{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/more-details-emerge-on-new-nba-cba-including-details-on-65-game-threshold-for-awards |title=More details emerge on new NBA CBA, including details on 65-game threshold for awards |first=Kurt |last=Helin |work=NBC Sports |date=April 18, 2023 |access-date=June 28, 2023 |archive-date=June 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230628202158/https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/more-details-emerge-on-new-nba-cba-including-details-on-65-game-threshold-for-awards |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://imgix.cosmicjs.com/25da5eb0-15eb-11ee-b5b3-fbd321202bdf-Final-2023-NBA-Collective-Bargaining-Agreement-6-28-23.pdf |title=Article XXIX, Section 6: Games Played Requirement for Certain League Honors |work=NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement |publisher=National Basketball Players Association |pages=432–38 |date=July 2023 |access-date=September 13, 2023 |archive-date=September 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230916202133/https://imgix.cosmicjs.com/25da5eb0-15eb-11ee-b5b3-fbd321202bdf-Final-2023-NBA-Collective-Bargaining-Agreement-6-28-23.pdf |url-status=live }} The games played requirement specifically applies to the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Improved Player awards, as well as the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams.