When Do They Announce the NBA MVP?

The NBA MVP is one of the most prestigious awards in basketball. Every year, fans and pundits alike speculate about who will take home the coveted trophy. But when do they actually announce the winner?

Introduction

The National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963. Until 2011, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since 2012, a media panel has been utilized to determine the winner.

History of the NBA MVP

The National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Most Valuable Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963. Until the 1979–80 season, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since the 1980–81 season, the award is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

In its early years, between 1956 and 1960, when players were selected solely by player voting, only three players won the award more than once: Bob Pettit (1956, 1959), Bill Russell (1958, 1961, 1962) and Wilt Chamberlain (1959, 1960). From 1961 to 1969 only two players won it multiple times: Oscar Robertson averaged a triple-double over these nine years including winning it in 1964; Russell won it five times in six years between 1963 and 1968. Since 1979 only Karl Malone and LeBron James have won it multiple times; Malone did so on three occasions (1997–99), while James has done so on four occasions (2009–12), including winning three consecutive MVPs from 2009 to 2011—an unprecedented feat in NBA history.

When is the NBA MVP Announced?

The NBA Most Valuable Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963. Until the 1979–80 season, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since the 1980–81 season, it has been awarded by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.

Each member of the voting panel casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is worth 10 points; each second-place vote is worth seven; each third-place vote is worth five; each fourth-place vote is worth three; and each fifth-place vote is worth one. Starting from 2010, one ballot was cast by fans through online voting. The player with the highest point total wins the award. As of 2019, the most recent recipient of the award is Giannis Antetokounmpo.

How is the NBA MVP Chosen?

The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA, who served from 1946 until his retirement in 1963. The award was first given in 1955 to Bob Pettit and has been awarded annually since. Pettit, Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, and LeBron James are the only players to win the award multiple times. James is the most recent recipient of the award.

Voting is conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is worth 10 points; each second-place vote is worth seven; each third-place vote is worth five; each fourth-place vote is worth three; and each fifth-place vote is worth one. Starting from 2010, one ballot was cast by fans through online voting. The player with the highest point total wins the award. As of June 2020, eleven players have received 33 MVP awards: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Bill Russell (5), Michael Jordan (5), Wilt Chamberlain (4), LeBron James (4), Moses Malone (3), Bob Pettit (2), Magic Johnson (3), Larry Bird (3), Steve Nash (2), and Dirk Nowitzki (1). Russell and James are the only players that have won consecutive awards; Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Walton are the only players to win in three consecutive seasons. Omar Sharif, Julius Erving, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo are among other notable players who have received one time in their careers.

Conclusion

The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award is an annual award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA, who served from 1946 until his retirement in 1963. Until 2011, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since 2012, a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada has been entrusted with the task of voting for the winner. Each member of the voting panel casts a vote for first to fifth place selections. Each first-place vote is worth 10 points; each second-place vote is worth seven; each third-place vote is worth five; each fourth-place vote is worth three; and each fifth-place vote is worth one point. The player with the highest point total wins the award. As of 2017, The NBA Finals MVP has been crowned 31 times whereas The NBA Regular Season MVP has been awarded 61 times.