NBA: Most Top 5 MVP finishes...

[Bigblackted4]

Yeah anybody shytting on this stat is an idiot is it a end all be all, no but a good representation of who did what and for how long

 

[MJ Truth]

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]

With a minimum of 5:

15
Kareem (6x MVP, '73 runner-up)

14
LeBron (4x MVP, 4x runner-up)

11
Russell (5x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Kobe ('08 MVP, '09 runner-up)

10
Mike (5x MVP, 3x runner-up)
Wilt (4x MVP, 2x runner-up)

9
Bird (3x MVP, 4x runner-up)
Magic (3x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Duncan (2x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Karl (2x MVP, '98 runner-up)
Oscar ('64 MVP, '65 runner-up)

8
Pettit (2x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Shaq ('00 MVP, 2x runner-up)
West (3x runner-up)

7
Elgin ('63 runner-up)

6
KD ('14 MVP, 3x runner-up)
Harden ('18 MVP, 3x runner-up)
Dream ('94 MVP, '93 runner-up)
Ewing

5
Moses (3x MVP)
KG ('04 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Robinson ('95 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Dr J ('81 MVP, '80 runner-up)
CP3 ('08 runner-up)

Cats on here shyt on Top 5 MVP finishes as "participation awards" when it doesn't benefit their guy but the evidence shows that the more you are a Top 5 candidate, it is an indicator of you being one if the very best players ever with no exception...

Of the 24 guys to finish Top 5 at least 5 times, only 4 guys never won it at least once (Paul, Ewing, Baylor, Logo). Ewing is an even bigger anomaly, he's the only guy who never won an MVP or finished second...

All 24 of these guys are considered among the greatest 35 players ever, every single one, so being a Top 5 finisher 5x or more speaks very much to your credibility as an All-Timer. It speaks to your longevity as a Top 10 player---->nobody finishes Top 5 in MVP voting who wasn't a Top 10 player in that given season...

Which means, you maintained a level of elite, Top 10 play over a sustained period of time, for a half-decade or longer. This is rare, most guys can't have that longevity and durability...

The Consensus Top 18 of All-Time GOATs, and 20 of the Top 25 consensus GOATs, are all in this list of 24 guys. The only players who are presently viewed as Top 25 GOATs who don't have 5+ Top 5 MVP years are Steph, Chuck, Dirk, Wade, and Hondo...

Pettit, Paul, Ewing, and Harden are the lowest ranked players on this list but again, all are by majority opinion viewed as Top 35 All-Timers...

2024 Update:

NBA: Most Top 5 MVP finishes...​

15
Kareem (6x MVP, '73 runner-up)

14
LeBron (4x MVP, 4x runner-up)

11
Russell (5x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Kobe ('08 MVP, '09 runner-up)

10
Mike (5x MVP, 3x runner-up)
Wilt (4x MVP, 2x runner-up)

9
Bird (3x MVP, 4x runner-up)
Magic (3x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Duncan (2x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Karl (2x MVP, '98 runner-up)
Oscar ('64 MVP, '65 runner-up)

8
Pettit (2x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Shaq ('00 MVP, 2x runner-up)
West (3x runner-up)

7
Elgin ('63 runner-up)

6
Giannis (2x MVP)
KD ('14 MVP, 3x runner-up)
Harden ('18 MVP, 3x runner-up)
Dream ('94 MVP, '93 runner-up)
Ewing

5
Jokic (3x MVP, '23 runner up)
Moses (3x MVP)
KG ('04 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Robinson ('95 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Dr J ('81 MVP, '80 runner-up)
CP3 ('08 runner-up)

So now there are 26 players in league history who have been a Top 5 finisher at least 5 times. This effectively locks Jokic and Giannis in as Top 35 All-Timers...

I think now too, in terms of a historic sense, are Giannis and Jokic above the other 5/6/7x guys. You look at this list, it's becoming increasingly difficult to make the case for these older guys over Giannis and Jokic...

 

[murksiderock]

Relevant bump...

Shai is about to finish Top 5 for the 3rd time, which is gonna tie him with Luka and Embiid. The rest of this decade is gonna go a long way towards determining where those 3 guys stand in relation to each other, and towards the two big dogs of this era (Jokic and Giannis)...

Tatum is gonna finish Top 5 MVP for the second time...

Bron getting hurt is gonna push him outta a Top 5 finish, where he woulda tied Kareem. It'll probably be Brunson (which would be his second Top 5 finish) or Mitchell (would be his first), rounding out the 2025 Top 5...

But the two big dogs of this era....

Giannis is gonna finish Top 5 for the 7th time, tying him with Elgin Baylor. Jokic will be Top 5 for the 6th time, moving up with KD, Harden, Hakeem, and Ewing...

I'm a big believer in that, if you look how many times a guy finishes Top 5 in MVP, that'll give you a string indicator on how important said guy is to NBA history. You cant really deny this, just look at the list. There are rare anomalies, like Steph has only been Top 5 4x, he's an extreme exception to the rule. Generally speaking, the greatest players in NBA history are annual MVP candidates...

There's a real conversation to be had now, on if Giannis or Jokic, or both, have leapt over KD in a historical sense. Keep in mind, Durant is widely regarded by consensus as a GOAT15 player, and some people argue him as higher. So if we are saying Giannis and/or Jokic have jumped him, that means we are comfortable giving them GOAT15 status...

Same thing goes for Hakeem compared to those two. It's fair to now have the conversation comparing them to Hakeem...

I'm a Harden Stan but they've surpassed Harden. They've long surpassed Ewing...

 

[murksiderock]

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All-Time list updated, as of this season:

15
Kareem (6x MVP, '73 runner-up)

14
LeBron (4x MVP, 4x runner-up)

11
Russell (5x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Kobe ('08 MVP, '09 runner-up)

10
Mike (5x MVP, 3x runner-up)
Wilt (4x MVP, 2x runner-up)

9
Bird (3x MVP, 4x runner-up)
Magic (3x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Duncan (2x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Karl (2x MVP, '98 runner-up)
Oscar ('64 MVP, '65 runner-up)

8
Pettit (2x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Shaq ('00 MVP, 2x runner-up)
West (3x runner-up)

7
Giannis (2x MVP)
Elgin ('63 runner-up)

6
Jokic (3x MVP, 2x runner up)
KD ('14 MVP, 3x runner-up)
Harden ('18 MVP, 3x runner-up)
Dream ('94 MVP, '93 runner-up)
Ewing

5
Moses (3x MVP)
KG ('04 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Robinson ('95 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Dr J ('81 MVP, '80 runner-up)
CP3 ('08 runner-up)

.............

Jokic has finished Top 5 for the 6th time; Giannis for the 7th time. Of 6x finishers, Jokic has more MVPs than all of em. And you look at the names in that group, arguments have already been made that he's a higher historical player than all of those guys. Personally, I don't have him over Durant or Olajuwon yet (don't have Giannis over those guys either)...

Both Giannis and Jokic are ahead of Elgin Baylor to me. Baylor was a 7x Top 5 finisher and to this day one of the greater players in history, but those two leapt over Baylor years ago...

 

[MyApps]

Does this mean Kobe and Russell are the consensus Top 5 greatest of all time?

 

[Boonapalist]

Does this mean Kobe and Russell are the consensus Top 5 greatest of all time?

Nah don’t mention Kobe to him he’ll start juelzing

 

[stepbackj34spud]

Loading…

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All-Time list updated, as of this season:

15
Kareem (6x MVP, '73 runner-up)

14
LeBron (4x MVP, 4x runner-up)

11
Russell (5x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Kobe ('08 MVP, '09 runner-up)

10
Mike (5x MVP, 3x runner-up)
Wilt (4x MVP, 2x runner-up)

9
Bird (3x MVP, 4x runner-up)
Magic (3x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Duncan (2x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Karl (2x MVP, '98 runner-up)
Oscar ('64 MVP, '65 runner-up)

8
Pettit (2x MVP, 2x runner-up)
Shaq ('00 MVP, 2x runner-up)
West (3x runner-up)

7
Giannis (2x MVP)
Elgin ('63 runner-up)

6
Jokic (3x MVP, 2x runner up)
KD ('14 MVP, 3x runner-up)
Harden ('18 MVP, 3x runner-up)
Dream ('94 MVP, '93 runner-up)
Ewing

5
Moses (3x MVP)
KG ('04 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Robinson ('95 MVP, 2x runner-up)
Dr J ('81 MVP, '80 runner-up)
CP3 ('08 runner-up)

.............

Jokic has finished Top 5 for the 6th time; Giannis for the 7th time. Of 6x finishers, Jokic has more MVPs than all of em. And you look at the names in that group, arguments have already been made that he's a higher historical player than all of those guys. Personally, I don't have him over Durant or Olajuwon yet (don't have Giannis over those guys either)...

Both Giannis and Jokic are ahead of Elgin Baylor to me. Baylor was a 7x Top 5 finisher and to this day one of the greater players in history, but those two leapt over Baylor years ago...

You never seen Elgin Baylor play, shut the fukk up.

 

[murksiderock]

They aren't yet winning at the same clip as their predecessors, but Jokic and Giannis are this era's Russell/Wilt; Magic/Bird; Duncan/Kobe; LeBron/Steph...

Nah don’t mention Kobe to him he’ll start juelzing

Nah don't do that, you confusing me with someone else

Does this mean Kobe and Russell are the consensus Top 5 greatest of all time?

No it doesn't, I think I mentioned when I created this thread, that this is a relevant metric but its not end all, be all. It's not a conversation ender....

Neither Russell not Kobe are Top 5 ever...

 

[Brandon M.]

why do yall care about media given award?


yall don’t have yall own eyes to make a decision on who’s the best of the best?

serious question here

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

why do yall care about media given award?


yall don’t have yall own eyes to make a decision on who’s the best of the best?

serious question here

Same reason why they care so much about box score stats, because they only can digest what is fed to them.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Kareem and Bill Russell ones are really impressive because they were done in era where the PLAYERS voted for the MVP. Respect of your competitors>

The players in today’s league just voted Haliburton the most overrated player. Do with that what you will.

 

[murksiderock]

Every time MVP comes up, every year, nikkas flood this board with "fukk that media award" shyt...

Every trope and narrative about the sport is driven from someone in the media. It doesnt mean you have to agree with every topic, but yall are so selective with what counts as a media narrative, and what doesn't...

I've already stated the following in the past, but my purpose behind finding the guys with the most Top 5 finishes, is just a point of interest, and it really is a guideline to who the most impactful players of every era were, which then gives the framework of the greatest players to play this game....

"Guideline" isn't a conversation ender or mean you have to take the names listed as the best in sequential order...

 

[murksiderock]

I also think, that as the 20s finish out (4 years left in the decade), a race is on with Shai, Embiid, Tatum, and Luka, as that tier of stars under Jokic and Giannis...

Tatum is the only one with a ring and multiple Finals runs but is about to likely miss a full season. Shai and Embiid have MVPs but Embiid appears cooked. Luka is more popular than all three of those guys, and the pressure is about to start mounting soon for him to add hardware to validate his greatness...

Its a transition period but I'm excited for this new era of the NBA...

 

[fifth column]

I also think, that as the 20s finish out (4 years left in the decade), a race is on with Shai, Embiid, Tatum, and Luka, as that tier of stars under Jokic and Giannis...

Tatum is the only one with a ring and multiple Finals runs but is about to likely miss a full season. Shai and Embiid have MVPs but Embiid appears cooked. Luka is more popular than all three of those guys, and the pressure is about to start mounting soon for him to add hardware to validate his greatness...

Its a transition period but I'm excited for this new era of the NBA...

Why you left out Ant and Brunson