NBA: Most Top 5 MVP finishes...

[MasterThought]

Have we always cared about the MVP Award or has the media brainwashed us into caring?

I remember In real time when I watched heavily in the 90s through the early 2000s (I'm 38) not caring at all.

Of course back then we didn't have the 24/7 talking head news cycle talking about it nonstop. I mean they literally have segments 10 games into the season asking "whose the early season MVP? "

I know it's fun to debate about it but I mean do we REALLY care? We still have our favorite players and hopefully OUR OWN opinions about who's the best regardless of who wins it.

 

[Hersh]

Absolutely, give me a few minutes!

most top 3 finishes i mean

 

[Absolut da poet ®]

Finals MVP >>> This

If your name appears on this list 2+ times then you're in the official GOAT conversation

Add Bill Russell and throw out everyone else prior to 1969

2020-21 Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

2019-20 LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

2018-19 Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors

2017-18 Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors

2016-17 Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors

2015-16 LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

2014-15 Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors

2013-14 Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

2012-13 LeBron James, Miami Heat

2011-12 LeBron James, Miami Heat

2010-11 Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

2009-10 Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

2008-09 Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

2007-08 Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics

2006-07 Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

2005-06 Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

2004-05 Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

2003-04 Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons

2002-03 Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

2001-02 Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

2000-01 Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

1999-00 Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

1998-99 Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

1997-98 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1996-97 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1995-96 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1994-95 Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets

1993-94 Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets

1992-93 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1991-92 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1990-91 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1989-90 Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons

1988-89 Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons

1987-88 James Worthy, Los Angeles Lakers

1986-87 Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

1985-86 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

1984-85 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers

1983-84 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

1982-83 Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers

1981-82 Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

1980-81 Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics

1979-80 Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

1978-79 Dennis Johnson, Seattle SuperSonics

1977-78 Wes Unseld, Washington Bullets

1976-77 Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers

1975-76 Jo Jo White, Boston Celtics

1974-75 Rick Barry, Golden State Warriors

1973-74 John Havlicek, Boston Celtics

1972-73 Willis Reed, New York Knicks

1971-72 Wilt Chamberlain, Los Angeles Lakers

1970-71 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks

1969-70 Willis Reed, New York Knicks

1968-69 Jerry West, Los Angeles

 

[Cladyclad]

Finals MVP >>> This

If your name appears on this list 2+ times then you're in the official GOAT conversation

Add Bill Russell and throw out everyone else prior to 1969

2020-21 Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

2019-20 LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

2018-19 Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors

2017-18 Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors

2016-17 Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors

2015-16 LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

2014-15 Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors

2013-14 Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

2012-13 LeBron James, Miami Heat

2011-12 LeBron James, Miami Heat

2010-11 Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

2009-10 Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

2008-09 Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

2007-08 Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics

2006-07 Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

2005-06 Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

2004-05 Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

2003-04 Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons

2002-03 Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

2001-02 Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

2000-01 Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

1999-00 Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers

1998-99 Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

1997-98 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1996-97 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1995-96 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1994-95 Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets

1993-94 Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets

1992-93 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1991-92 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1990-91 Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls

1989-90 Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons

1988-89 Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons

1987-88 James Worthy, Los Angeles Lakers

1986-87 Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

1985-86 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

1984-85 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers

1983-84 Larry Bird, Boston Celtics

1982-83 Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers

1981-82 Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

1980-81 Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics

1979-80 Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers

1978-79 Dennis Johnson, Seattle SuperSonics

1977-78 Wes Unseld, Washington Bullets

1976-77 Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers

1975-76 Jo Jo White, Boston Celtics

1974-75 Rick Barry, Golden State Warriors

1973-74 John Havlicek, Boston Celtics

1972-73 Willis Reed, New York Knicks

1971-72 Wilt Chamberlain, Los Angeles Lakers

1970-71 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks

1969-70 Willis Reed, New York Knicks

1968-69 Jerry West, Los Angeles

FMVP is flawed. It’s a team award

 

[KidJSoul]

At the bare minimum it's an objective one. Not bulletproof but there's very few holes one could poke at it...

nikkas say MVP is "narrative driven" lmao. All that means is everyone of these guys benefitted from narrative at some point. Every one of em...

MVP not supposed to matter because nikkas favorite players not high on it but being Top 5 for at least a half-decade or longer is a strong indicator of a guy's degree of dominance of his era(s). But MVP is a bullshyt award lmao...

Exactly.

One of the things that makes a player great, aside from rings, is how many years did I watch you play and go "yeah, that dude is the best". I value peak for that reason.

 

[MustafaSTL]

Because lebron name is on the list duh

So wouldn’t this be a Cap/Bron/Bean/every other players’ name on the list thread then? How is it singularly a Bron thread?

 

[Cladyclad]

So wouldn’t this be a Cap/Bron/Bean/every other players’ name on the list thread then? How is it singularly a Bron thread?

You remind of Drax

 

[MustafaSTL]

You remind of Drax

Now repost this in English.

 

[Cladyclad]

Now repost this in English.

You remind of Drax

 

[MustafaSTL]

You remind of Drax

Guess you’re not capable of doing so.

 

[murksiderock]

can u do top 3?

11
LeBron (4x MVP, 4x runner-up)

10
Mike (5x MVP, 3x runner-up)

9
Kareem (6x MVP, '73 runner-up)
Russell (5x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Magic (3x MVP, 2x runner-up)

8
Bird (3x MVP, 4x runner-up)

7
Wilt (4x MVP, 2x runner-up)

5
Duncan (2x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Pettit (2x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Karl (2x MVP, '98 runner-up)
Harden ('18 MVP, 3x runner-up)
Shaq ('00 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Robinson ('95 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Kobe ('08 MVP, '09 runner-up)
Oscar ('64 MVP, '65 runner-up)
West (3x runner-up)

4
Moses (3x MVP)
KD ('14 MVP, 3x runner-up)
KG ('04 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Elgin ('63 runner-up)

3
Nash (2x MVP, '07 runner-up)
Steph (2x MVP)
Giannis (2x MVP)**still active**
McAdoo ('75 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Dr J ('81 MVP, '80 runner-up)
Cowens ('73 MVP, '75 runner-up)
Dirk ('07 MVP)
Gervin (2x runner-up)

 

[MJ Truth]

Timmy was top 5 in MVP voting his rookie year. His first 8 seasons he finished top 5 in MVP voting that's crazy

People really take his greatness for granted and sleep on it

Tim Duncan was the most polished player to come into the NBA in the modern era (1980 forward). More than even Magic, Bird, MJ, Shaq; Duncan came into the league a complete product.

 

[Saysumthinfunnymike]

Timmy was top 5 in MVP voting his rookie year. His first 8 seasons he finished top 5 in MVP voting that's crazy

People really take his greatness for granted and sleep on it

He overlaps almost entirely with Shaq/Bean and a lot of years with Bron... he doesn't have the stan base because he was 'boring'. Most fans are casuals who will never truly get Duncan's greatness

 

[Primetime21]

10 top 5 finishes in 13 years is crazy. Even Kobe’s 11 is pretty impressive considering he did it all in one place. I can imagine how much higher those numbers would be if they were stacking the deck.

 

[murksiderock]

Have we always cared about the MVP Award or has the media brainwashed us into caring?

I remember In real time when I watched heavily in the 90s through the early 2000s (I'm 38) not caring at all.

Of course back then we didn't have the 24/7 talking head news cycle talking about it nonstop. I mean they literally have segments 10 games into the season asking "whose the early season MVP? "

I know it's fun to debate about it but I mean do we REALLY care? We still have our favorite players and hopefully OUR OWN opinions about who's the best regardless of who wins it.

Well it wasn't as constant a discussion 30 years ago as it is today, but it's always been relevant and always been a piece I weighing someone's legacy...

Speaking for myself, I've always been able to formulate my own opinions regardless if the narrative or popular opinion. In a sport like the NBA that is heavily weighted towards individual superstars, this matters to me. When we talking about the biggest names in an All-Time context, you should be a consistent MVP threat for a period of time. And as I paid out upthread, the evidence by and large supports that the true greatest of the greats are perennial MVP threats...

He overlaps almost entirely with Shaq/Bean and a lot of years with Bron... he doesn't have the stan base because he was 'boring'. Most fans are casuals who will never truly get Duncan's greatness

100...

Duncan and Shaq's careers overlapped for 14 years (1997-2011). They tied in championships during their career overlap but Duncan leads Shaq in every other relevant metric, so it's always hard for me when people say Shaq should be over Duncan. Shaq had the higher peak but that's about it, Duncan has the edge elsewhere...