NBA Awards: Season MVP, Year by Year

This is the complete list of winners of the Season MVP Award, year by year.

Current Season MVP:

Joel Embiid
2022-23 Season MVP

NBA Awards: Season MVP

The Most Valuable Player of the Regular Season is selected by a panel of pro basketball writters and broadcasters since 1981. The MVP winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named that way after the first commissioner of the NBA.

From 1956 to 1980 the winner was selected by the NBA players.

In 2016 Stephen Curry joinned Steve Nash and Magic Johnson as the only point guards to have won the award more than once. In 2007 Dirk Nowitzki became the first European player to win it.

In 2007-08, and after 12 seasons in the NBA, Kobe Bryant won his first and only Season MVP award.

Season MVP: by Year / by Player / by Team

NBA Champions = NBA Champion that same year

NBA Season MVP Year by Year

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Season
Player
Team
Points
Rebounds Assists
2022-23 Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers 33.1 10.2 4.2
2021-22 Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets 27.1 13.8 7.9
2020-21 Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets 26.4 10.8 8.3
2019-20 Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks 29.5 13.6 5.6
2018-19 Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks 27.7 12.5 5.9
2017-18 James Harden Houston Rockets 30.4 5.4 8.8
2016-17 Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder 31.6 10.7 10.4
2015-16 Stephen Curry Golden State Warriors 30.1 5.4 6.7
2014-15 Stephen Curry
NBA Champions
Golden State Warriors 23.8 4.3 7.7
2013-14 Kevin Durant Oklahoma City Thunder 32.0 7.4 5.5
2012-13 LeBron James
NBA Champions
Miami Heat 26.8 8.0 7.3
2011-12 LeBron James
NBA Champions
Miami Heat 27.1 7.9 6.2
2010-11 Derrick Rose Chicago Bulls 25.0 4.1 7.7
2009-10 LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers 29.7 7.3 8.6
2008-09 LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers 28.4 7.6 7.2
Season
Player
Team
Points
Rebounds Assists
2007-08 Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers 28.3 6.3 5.4
2006-07 Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks 24.6 8.9 3.4
2005-06 Steve Nash Phoenix Suns 18.8 4.2 10.5
2004-05 Steve Nash Phoenix Suns 15.5 3.3 11.5
2003-04 Kevin Garnett Minnesota Timberwolves 24.2 13.9 5.0
2002-03 Tim Duncan
NBA Champions
San Antonio Spurs 23.3 12.9 3.9
2001-02 Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs 25.5 12.7 3.7
2000-01 Allen Iverson Philadelphia 76ers 31.1 3.8 4.6
1999-00 Shaquille O'Neal (1)
NBA Champions
Los Angeles Lakers 29.7 13.6 3.8
1998-99 Karl Malone Utah Jazz 23.8 9.4 4.1
1997-98 Michael Jordan (1)
NBA Champions
Chicago Bulls 28.7 5.8 3.5
1996-97 Karl Malone Utah Jazz 27.4 9.9 4.5
1995-96 Michael Jordan (1)
NBA Champions
Chicago Bulls 30.4 6.6 4.3
1994-95 David Robinson San Antonio Spurs 27.6 10.8 2.9
1993-94 Hakeem Olajuwon
NBA Champions
Houston Rockets 27.3 11.9 3.6
1992-93 Charles Barkley Phoenix Suns 25.6 12.2 5.1
1991-92 Michael Jordan
NBA Champions
Chicago Bulls 30.1 6.4 6.1
Season
Player
Team
Points
Rebounds Assists
1990-91 Michael Jordan (1)
NBA Champions
Chicago Bulls 31.5 6.0 5.5
1989-90 Magic Johnson Los Angeles Lakers 22.3 6.6 11.5
1988-89 Magic Johnson Los Angeles Lakers 22.5 7.9 12.8
1987-88 Michael Jordan (1) Chicago Bulls 35.0 5.5 5.9
1986-87 Magic Johnson
NBA Champions
Los Angeles Lakers 23.9 6.3 12.2
1985-86 Larry Bird
NBA Champions
Boston Celtics 25.8 9.8 6.8
1984-85 Larry Bird Boston Celtics 28.7 10.5 6.6
1983-84 Larry Bird
NBA Champions
Boston Celtics 24.2 10.1 6.6
1982-83 Moses Malone
NBA Champions
Philadelphia 76ers 24.5 15.3 1.3
1981-82 Moses Malone Houston Rockets 31.1 14.7 1.8
1980-81 Julius Erving Philadelphia 76ers 24.6 8.0 4.4
1979-80 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
NBA Champions
Los Angeles Lakers 24.8 10.8 4.5
1978-79 Moses Malone Houston Rockets 24.8 17.6 1.8
1977-78 Bill Walton Portland Trail Blazers 18.9 13.2 5.0
1976-77 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Los Angeles Lakers 26.2 13.3 3.9
1975-76 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Los Angeles Lakers 27.7 16.9 5.0
1974-75 Bob McAdoo (1) Buffalo Braves 34.5 14.1 2.2
Season
Player
Team
Points
Rebounds Assists
1973-74 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Milwaukee Bucks 27.0 14.5 4.8
1972-73 Dave Cowens Boston Celtics 20.5 16.2 4.1
1971-72 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1) Milwaukee Bucks 34.8 16.6 4.6
1970-71 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1) (2)
NBA Champions
Milwaukee Bucks 31.7 16.0 3.3
1969-70 Willis Reed
NBA Champions
New York Knicks 21.7 13.9 2.0
1968-69 Wes Unseld Baltimore Bullets 13.8 18.2 2.6
1967-68 Wilt Chamberlain Philadelphia 76ers 24.3 23.8 8.6
1966-67 Wilt Chamberlain
NBA Champions
Philadelphia 76ers 24.1 24.2 7.8
1965-66 Wilt Chamberlain (1) Philadelphia 76ers 33.5 24.6 5.2
1964-65 Bill Russell
NBA Champions
Boston Celtics 14.1 24.1 5.3
1963-64 Oscar Robertson Cincinnati Royals 31.4 9.9 11.0
1962-63 Bill Russell
NBA Champions
Boston Celtics 16.8 23.6 4.5
1961-62 Bill Russell
NBA Champions
Boston Celtics 18.9 23.6 4.5
1960-61 Bill Russell
NBA Champions
Boston Celtics 16.9 23.9 3.4
1959-60 Wilt Chamberlain (1) Philadelphia Warriors 37.6 27.0 2.3
1958-59 Bob Pettit (1) St. Louis Hawks 29.2 16.4 3.1
1957-58 Bill Russell Boston Celtics 16.6 22.7 2.9
Season
Player
Team
Points
Rebounds Assists
1956-57 Bob Cousy
NBA Champions
Boston Celtics 20.6 4.8 7.5
1955-56 Bob Pettit (1) St. Louis Hawks 25.7 16.2 2.6

(1) Also led the league in scoring
(2) When he won the award his name was Lew Alcindor. He changed it to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after the 1970-71 season.