Who Has Won the Most NBA Finals MVPs?
The answer may surprise you. Check out our list of the players who have won the most Finals MVPs in NBA history.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is a retired American professional basketball player. He is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time. Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s. Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. He was the NBA Finals MVP in all six of those years.
6-time NBA Finals MVP
Michael Jordan is a former American professional basketball player who is widely considered to be the greatest of all time. He was born in 1963 in Brooklyn, New York, and raised in Wilmington, North Carolina. Jordan attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he became a member of the Tar Heels men’s basketball team. As a freshman, he helped lead the team to the NCAA Division I championship game. After winning the championship, Jordan decided to forgo his senior year of college and instead entered the NBA draft.
Jordan was drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the third overall pick in 1984. He quickly became one of the best players in the league and helped lead the Bulls to six NBA championships between 1991 and 1998. He was named NBA Finals MVP six times and was also regular season MVP five times. In addition to his accomplishments with the Bulls, Jordan also played for the Washington Wizards from 2001 to 2003. He retired from basketball for a second time in 2003 but came back to play for the Wizards again from 2001 to 2003.
Since his retirement from playing basketball, Jordan has become an extremely successful businessman. He is currently a majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets and also has his own line of shoes and apparel with Nike called “Air Jordan”.
Won back-to-back Finals MVPs three times
Michael Jordan is the only player in NBA history to win back-to-back Finals MVPs three times. He accomplished this feat in 1991 and 1992 with the Chicago Bulls and again in 1996 and 1997.
Other players have come close to matching Jordan’s feat, but no one has been able to achieve it. LeBron James has won back-to-back Finals MVPs twice, in 2012 and 2013 with the Miami Heat and again in 2016 and 2017 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kobe Bryant also won back-to-back Finals MVPs on two occasions, taking home the award in 2009 and 2010 with the Los Angeles Lakers, and again in 2011 and 2012.
Magic Johnson
Magic Johnson is often considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was a member of the “Dream Team” that won the gold medal at the 1992 Olympic Games. He also won five NBA Championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, and was named the NBA Finals MVP three times.
3-time NBA Finals MVP
Magic Johnson is a three-time NBA Finals MVP, winning the award in 1980, 1982, and 1987. He is also a five-time NBA champion, winning titles in 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, and 1988.
Won back-to-back Finals MVPs twice
No player in NBA history has won back-to-back Finals MVPs more than Magic Johnson. He did it twice, winning in 1987 and 1988 with the Los Angeles Lakers and again in 1989 and 1990. He is the only player to win the award four times overall.
LeBron James
LeBron James has won the most NBA Finals MVPs with four. He won his first in 2012 with the Miami Heat, and then went on to win three in a row with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2016 to 2018. Other players with multiple Finals MVPs include Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal.
3-time NBA Finals MVP
LeBron James is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history.
James has won three NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals. He has also been selected to 15 NBA All-Star teams, 17 All-Defensive teams, and has led the league in scoring four times.
Won back-to-back Finals MVPs twice
With his fourth Finals MVP, LeBron James has now won the award more times than any other player in NBA history. He’s also the only player to win back-to-back Finals MVPs twice, having done so in 2012 and 2013 with the Miami Heat and again in 2016 and 2017 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Players with the second-most Finals MVPs are Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal, who each have three. Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan, and Larry Bird have two apiece.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal, also known as Shaq, is a retired professional basketball player. He is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history. He is also one of the most decorated and awarded players, winning 3 NBA Finals MVPs.
3-time NBA Finals MVP
Shaquille O’Neal is a retired professional American basketball player who is best known for his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won three consecutive NBA championships and was named the NBA Finals MVP all three times.
Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan is a retired professional basketball player who played his entire 19-year career with the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest power forwards of all time and is a five-time NBA champion. He has also won the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) three times, becoming only the second player to do so after Michael Jordan. Duncan is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a 15-time NBA All-Star, and a 10-time All-NBA First Team selection.
2-time NBA Finals MVP
Duncan is a two-time NBA Finals MVP, having won the award in 1999 and 2003. He is also a five-time NBA champion, having won titles in 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. In addition to his two Finals MVPs, Duncan has also been named the NBA MVP twice, in 2002 and 2003. He is a 15-time NBA All-Star and has been named to the All-NBA First Team 10 times and the All-Defensive First Team nine times.
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant has won the most NBA Finals MVPs of all time. He has won a total of four MVPs, which is the most by any player in NBA history. Kobe has also been named to the All-NBA First Team a record 12 times.
2-time NBA Finals MVP
Kobe Bryant is a former American professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won five NBA championships and was an 18-time All-Star, 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, and 12-time member of the All-Defensive team. He led the NBA in scoring during two seasons, ranks third on both the league’s all-time regular season scoring and all-time postseason scoring lists, and holds numerous other basketball records.
Bryant is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In 2016, he became the first player in NBA history to have 60 points or more in four consecutive games. He was also a two-time Olympic gold medalist, winning consecutive titles in 2008 and 2012 with Team USA.
Bryant’s individual accolades include being voted onto 12 All-NBA teams (tying Bob Cousy for the second most all time), 12 All-Defensive teams, winning the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 2008, and being named an NBA All-Star 18 times (tied for the most all time). In 2008 he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame while still active as a player; he was only 34 years old at the time of his induction making him one of the youngest inductees ever.
Larry Bird
Larry Bird is an American former professional basketball player who won the NBA Finals MVP three times. He was also a 12-time NBA All-Star and is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history.
3-time NBA Finals MVP
Larry Bird is a retired American basketball player who was a 12-time NBA All-Star and 3-time NBA Finals MVP. He played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics, winning three NBA championships. He is widely considered one of the greatest players in basketball history.
