The NBA MVP Award, Hall of Fame

The NBA MVP Race Award, which stands for Most Valuable Player, is one of the most prestigious honors in the NBA basketball world and is awarded each year to the best player of the Regular Season.

History of the NBA MVP Race

The MVP award was first awarded at the end of the 1955-56 season and was established in honor of Maurice Podoloff, the first commissioner and later president of the NBA from 1946 to 1963.

The first recipient of the MVP award was Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks, who had an incredible season with an average of 25.7 points and 16.2 rebounds per game. Over the years, many other great names in the NBA have received this prestigious award. Among them are legends like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.

One of the most memorable moments in the history of the MVP award was when Michael Jordan won his fifth consecutive MVP in the 1997-98 season, finishing with an average of 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, leading his Chicago Bulls to their third consecutive NBA title that season.

There have been some controversial moments in the history of the MVP award. For example, in the 1977-78 season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had an incredible season with an average of 24.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game. However, the MVP award was given to Bill Walton of the Portland Trail Blazers, who had an equally impressive season but with slightly lower statistics.

Who awards the MVP prize?

The NBA MVP award is not just a matter of statistics. The voters of the award, who are composed of a combination of NBA journalists and analysts, take into consideration many factors including the player’s ability to lead his team to success, his leadership on the court, and his importance to the team.

Who has won the most MVP in the NBA?

The player who holds the most MVP titles is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with an impressive 6 titles, received between 1971 and 1980, leaving behind legends such as Bill Russell and Michael Jordan, who are tied at 5 (Most MVP Winners of all time).

List of NBA MVP Winners

Other interesting facts about the most coveted personal award for every player:

• Moses Malone is the only player to win the MVP award with two different teams in two consecutive seasons (the Sixers and the Rockets);
• Steph Curry is the only player to win the MVP award unanimously, in 2016;
• Derrick Rose was the youngest MVP in NBA history, winning the award at the age of 22 in 2011;
• Karl Malone was the oldest MVP in NBA history, winning it at 35 years old in 1999;
• Bill Walton and James Harden are the only players to have won both the Sixth Man of the Year award and the MVP;
• Nikola Jokic, is the player selected with the lowest draft pick to win the MVP award (the 41st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft).