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NBA Finals MVP: Full list of past winners, rules and voting criteria

Who from this year's NBA Finals crop will join one of the league's most exclusive clubs?
Oklahoma City Thunder v Indiana Pacers
Oklahoma City Thunder v Indiana Pacers | Jeff Dean/GettyImages

Technically speaking, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers will be jostling for their first title in franchise history. But who will guide them to the promised land?

Oklahoma City has one Larry O'Brien Trophy, though they climbed the NBA's highest mountaintop as the Seattle SuperSonics. Meanwhile, the Pacers have three championships to their name, but all of them came when they were in the American Basketball Association (ABA).

In other words, the modern versions of the Thunder and Pacers have a chance to etch their names in league history. To do so, they will need heroic performances from key contributors and reserves. This is where legends are made, and get the hardware to support their case, including the NBA Finals MVP.

What is the NBA Finals MVP award, and how is it selected?

Each year since the 1968-69 campaign, the NBA has acknowledged the best individual showing with the Finals MVP, also known as the Bill Russell Trophy. A selected panel of 11 media members votes on the award to decide the winner once a champion is crowned. Boston Celtics star wing Jaylen Brown is the most recent to receive the prestigious accolade.

Who from the Pacers or Thunder will join Brown and Co. in arguably the Association's most exclusive group?

Previous NBA Finals MVP winners

Year

Player

Team

2024

Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics

2023

Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets

2022

Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors

2021

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks

2020

LeBron James

Los Angeles Lakers

2019

Kawhi Leonard

Toronto Raptors

2018

Kevin Durant

Golden State Warriors

2017

Kevin Durant

Golden State Warriors

2016

LeBron James

Cleveland Cavaliers

2015

Andre Iguodala

Golden State Warriors

2014

Kawhi Leonard

San Antonio Spurs

2013

LeBron James

Miami Heat

2012

LeBron James

Miami Heat

2011

Dirk Nowitzki

Dallas Mavericks

2010

Kobe Bryant

Los Angeles Lakers

2009

Kobe Bryant

Los Angeles Lakers

2008

Paul Pierce

Boston Celtics

2007

Tony Parker

San Antonio Spurs

2006

Dwayne Wade

Miami Heat

2005

Tim Duncan

San Antonio Spurs

2004

Chauncey Billups

Detroit Pistons

2003

Tim Duncan

San Antonio Spurs

2002

Shaquille O'Neal

Los Angeles Lakers

2001

Shaquille O'Neal

Los Angeles Lakers

2000

Shaquille O'Neal

Los Angeles Lakers

1999

Tim Duncan

San Antonio Spurs

1998

Michael Jordan

Chicago Bulls

1997

Michael Jordan

Chicago Bulls

1996

Michael Jordan

Chicago Bulls

1995

Hakeem Olajuwon

Houston Rockets

1994

Hakeem Olajuwon

Houston Rockets

1993

Michael Jordan

Chicago Bulls

1992

Michael Jordan

Chicago Bulls

1991

Michael Jordan

Chicago Bulls

1990

Isiah Thomas

Detroit Pistons

1989

Joe Dumars

Detroit Pistons

1988

James Worthy

Los Angeles Lakers

1987

Magic Johnson

Los Angeles Lakers

1986

Larry Bird

Boston Celtics

1985

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Los Angeles Lakers

1984

Larry Bird

Boston Celtics

1983

Moses Malone

Philadelphia 76ers

1982

Magic Johnson

Los Angeles Lakers

1981

Cedric Maxwell

Boston Celtics

1980

Magic Johnson

Los Angeles Lakers

1979

Dennis Johnson

Seattle SuperSonics

1978

Wes Unseld

Washington Bullets

1977

Bill Walton

Portland Trail Blazers

1976

Jo Jo White

Boston Celtics

1975

Rick Barry

Golden State Warriors

1974

John Havlicek

Boston Celtics

1973

Willis Reed

New York Knicks

1972

Wilt Chamberlain

Los Angeles Lakers

1971

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Milwaukee Bucks

1970

Willis Reed

New York Knicks

1969

Jerry West

Los Angeles Lakers

The late and great Jerry West, AKA "The Logo," won the NBA's first-ever Finals MVP. Paradoxically, his Los Angeles Lakers lost a hard-fought seven-game series to the Celtics, marking the lone instance we've seen this happen. While he was getting presented with the inaugural award, the opposing team was celebrating its second consecutive title.

Some may see a lot of duplicates; 12 players account for 33 Finals MVP awards. This dozen represents the only one to hoist the Bill Russell Trophy multiple times. Basketball royalty Michael Jordan did it sixfold with the Chicago Bulls. Yet, the list gets even shorter when you filter by those who have received the recognition with more than one franchise.

LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are the only three players to claim Finals MVP as a member of at least two clubs. James is the only one to do it with three organizations (the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers).

French point guard Tony Parker became the first European player to win Finals MVP when the San Antonio Spurs swept the James-led Cavaliers in 2007. Cleveland had no answer for him, specifically from the mid-range and paint areas, and he secured a third ring in five seasons.

2025 NBA Finals MVP betting odds

Gilgeous-Alexander comes in as the overwhelming favorite to win this year's Finals MVP at -550, according to ESPN Bet. For context, that's approximately an 84.6 percent implied win probability. But below are other notable odds from the field, for bettors looking for long-shot action.

  • Tyrese Haliburton (+700)
  • Pascal Siakam (+1800)
  • Jalen Williams (+2500)
  • Chet Holmgren (+6600)
  • Alex Caruso (+20000)
  • Myles Turner (+20000)