When Does the NBA Announce the MVP?

The NBA MVP is announced at the end of the regular season. The award is given to the player who is deemed to be the most valuable to their team.

Introduction

The National Basketball Association (NBA) 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 1987, the MVP was selected by a vote of NBA players. Since 1988, the award is decided 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, fourth-place is three and fifth-place is 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, only three players have won the award multiple times: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Michael Jordan (five), and LeBron James (four). Since its inception, only two rookies have won the award: Wilt Chamberlain in 1959 and Wes Unseld in 1968. Jim Connor is known as one President/Executive Director of National Basketball Retired Players Association who receive this prestigious honor twice whereas he was selected as one among Fifty Greatest Players in NBA History as well in 1996.

History of the NBA MVP

The National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) 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 his retirement in 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 7 points; each third-place vote is worth 5 points; each fourth-place vote is worth 3 points; and each fifth-place vote is worth 1 point. Starting from 2010, one ballot was cast by fans through online voting. The player with the highest point total wins the award.*

The most recent recipient of the award is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Process of Determining the MVP

The process of determining the MVP of the NBA season has changed over time. In the early years of the league, the Maurice Podoloff Trophy was awarded to the player who scored the most points during the regular season. This system was in place from 1947 until 1980, after which point Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the first player to win the award multiple times.

Since 1981, the MVP award has been given out based on a point system that takes into account both individual and team performance. The media (aka, reporters and broadcasters who cover the league) have a vote, as do members of the NBA Players Association. These two groups make up 75% of the voting bloc, with the remaining 25% coming from a panel of basketball experts assembled by the league.

Ballots are cast at the end of the regular season (in April), and players must have played in at least 60 games to be eligible. The person with the most points wins; it’s that simple. In recent years, it’s not unusual for there to be a clear-cut winner well ahead of everyone else in voting; other times, it’s tight race that goes down to wire.

The winner is announced at an awards ceremony held during The Finals; usually this takes place on Monday or Tuesday night between Games 2 and 3.

The Announcement of the MVP

The announcement of the NBA’s Most Valuable Player is typically made at the end of the regular season. However, this year it has been pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic. The announcement will now be made on Friday, December 25th.

In addition to the regular season MVP, there are also other awards that are given out such as the Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Sixth Man of the Year. These awards will also be announced on December 25th.

Conclusion

So, when does the NBA announce the MVP?
The answer is that the MVP is announced after the regular season ends and before the playoffs begin. The award is given out at the end of the season, so there is no set date. However, it is typically announced in early April.