Who Got the Most MVPs in NBA History?

Who got the most MVPs in NBA history? A look at the players with the most MVPs in NBA history.

Michael Jordan- 6

There is no denying that Michael Jordan is one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was a six-time NBA Finals MVP, a five-time NBA MVP, and a 14-time NBA All-Star. Jordan also holds the record for the most points per game in a season (37.1) and career (30.1). He is considered by many to be the greatest player in NBA history.

Others who have won multiple MVPs include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6),Bill Russell (5), Wilt Chamberlain (4), LeBron James (4), and Magic Johnson (3).

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar- 6

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American former professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two as an assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP. In 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. NBA coach Pat Riley and players LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have called him the greatest basketball player of all time.

Abdul-Jabbar has also been an actor, a basketball coach, and a bestselling author. In 2012, he was selected by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a U.S. global cultural ambassador.

Bill Russell- 5

Boston Celtics center Bill Russell holds the record for the most MVPs in NBA history, with five wins. He is closely followed by fellow Hall of Famers Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, who each have four MVP awards to their names. In total, 31 different players have been named NBA MVP at least once.

Magic Johnson- 3

Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. is an American retired professional basketball player and current president of basketball operations of the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played point guard for the Lakers for 13 seasons. After winning championships in high school and college, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers. He won a championship and an NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, and won four more championships with the Lakers during the 1980s. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for good.

Johnson’s career achievements include three NBA MVP Awards, nine NBA Finals appearances, twelve All-Star games, and ten All-NBA First and Second Team nominations. He led the league in regular-season assists four times, is the NBA’s all-time leader in average assists per game, and is one of only two players to average at least 10 points and 11 assists per game in a season. Magic Johnson was a member of 1992 United States men’s Olympic gold medal basketball team (“The Dream Team”).

In 1996 director Spike Lee released a film entitled The Summer of Magic which featured scenes from Johnson’s rookie season with commentary from Dick Vitale regarding how quickly Johnson took to the league. The movie ends with Magic stating that he wants to be remembered as “a winner”.

LeBron James- 3

LeBron James has the most MVPs of any player in NBA history, with three. He won back-to-back MVPs in 2009 and 2010, and then again in 2012.

Wilt Chamberlain- 2

Wilt Chamberlain is one of the most dominant players in NBA history. He played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Los Angeles Lakers. In his 14-year career, he won 2 MVP Awards, was a 10-time NBA All-Star and a 2-time NBA champion. He is also the only player in NBA history to average over 50 points in a season.

Moses Malone- 2

Moses Malone is a retired American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). A center, he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times and was a 12-time NBA All-Star and an eight-time All-NBA selection. Malone led the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA championship in 1983, winning both the MVP Award and Finals MVP Award that year. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2001.

Steve Nash- 2

Former NBA player Steve Nash has the second most MVPs in NBA history, with 2. He played for the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers during his career.

Tim Duncan- 2

Tim Duncan, who played for the San Antonio Spurs, is a retired professional basketball player. He is a two-time NBA MVP, and he has also won five NBA Championships.

Dirk Nowitzki- 1

As of 2020, the most recent and final MVP of the NBA is Dirk Nowitzki. He is a power forward who played for the Dallas Mavericks for his entire 21-year career. He is considered one of the best players in NBA history and was the first European-born player to be named MVP.