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)