Who Was the MVP of the NBA?

The answer may surprise you! Our experts take a look at the top contenders for the title of MVP and make their case for who they think should take home the hardware this season.

LeBron James

LeBron James was the MVP of the NBA. He is a professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was born on December 30, 1984, in Akron, Ohio. LeBron James is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.

Regular Season

In the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Most Valuable Player Award is an annual honor given to the player who is deemed to be the “most valuable” for that 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.

Since its inception, the award has been given to 42 players. The first recipient was Bob Pettit in 1956, and most recently it was awarded to LeBron James in 2020. Pettit and Bill Russell have been recipients on the most occasions, with each winning it twice. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been selected a record six times, while Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan won it five times each. James is second all-time with four MVP awards.Russell and James are tied for second all-time for most consecutive seasons as MVP, winning it three times apiece. Abdul-Jabbar won it in four consecutive seasons from 1971–74, becoming enshrined as one of only three players ever to average more than 20 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists per game over a career; Chamberlain averaged 22 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists over his 14 seasons; and Oscar Robertson averaged 25 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists over his 13 seasons.

Thirteen players have won both the regular season award and the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the same year: Willis Reed (1970), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971), Bob Lanier (1981), Magic Johnson (1987), Michael Jordan (1991), Hakeem Olajuwon (1994), David Robinson (1995), Shaquille O’Neal (2000), Dirk Nowitzki (2007), LeBron James (2012 & 2013), Kevin Durant (2014)and Stephen Curry (2015).

Playoffs

In the playoffs, James averaged 34 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game, shooting 50.3% from the field, 32.9% from three-point range and 73%. His teams went 12–5 in the playoffs during that span. In his first Finals appearance in 2007, James averaged 22 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6 assists per game as the Cavaliers were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. The following year, he helped lead the Cavaliers to their first Finals victory, averaging 36 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7 assists per game as they defeated the Spurs in seven games. He was named the Finals MVP becoming the first player in NBA history other than Tim Duncan or Shaquille O’Neal to receive that honor in his first two Finals appearances. In 2009 and 2010, James again reached the Finals with the Cavaliers but lost to the Spurs in six games each time. After compiling a 2–8 record in his first 10 NBA Finals appearances, James led the Cavaliers to an upset victory over a Golden State Warriors team that had set an NBA regular season record with 73 wins en route to their second consecutive championship in 2016

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard was the Most Valuable Player of the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the 2016–17 and 2014–15 seasons. He is a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, winning in 2015 and 2016, and has been named to two NBA All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams. Leonard was born in Los Angeles and played his high school basketball at Martin Luther King High School.

Regular Season

In his seventh NBA season, Kawhi Leonard of the Toronto Raptors led the league in scoring, averaging 30.0 points per game to go along with 7.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists. He shot 49.6 percent from the field, 85.0 percent from the free throw line and 36.0 percent from three-point range. Leonard’s 30-point average was the highest by a Raptors player in franchise history, and he also set a new franchise record with 12 games of 30 or more points and 10 or more rebounds in a single season. He was named an All-Star for the third time in his career, and he was named to the All-NBA First Team for the second time.

Playoffs

In the playoffs, Leonard averaged 27.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. He shot 49 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. In the Finals, he averaged 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 51 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point range. His play helped the Raptors win their first NBA championship in franchise history. For his efforts, he was named the Finals MVP.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo was the Most Valuable Player of the NBA. He is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the Bucks’ leading scorer and rebounder, and also the league leader in both steals and blocks.

Regular Season

The 2018–19 NBA season was the 73rd season of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The regular season began on October 16, 2018 and ended on April 10, 2019. The playoffs began on April 13, 2019 and ended on June 13, 2019 with the Toronto Raptors winning the NBA Finals against the defending champion Golden State Warriors in six games. Kawhi Leonard was named Finals MVP, becoming the third player in NBA history to win both that award and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season.

Playoffs

In the playoffs, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points (on 57.8% shooting), 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.3 steals in 37.7 minutes per game. He was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for April after leading the Bucks to a 16–7 record and the second seed in the East with an average of 30.4 points, 12.6 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game. He became the first player in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in all five major statistical categories for a single season (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks). In Game 4 of the first round against the Miami Heat on April 22, Antetokounmpo scored 34 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as he helped the Bucks win 103–94 and take a 3–1 series lead.[101] In Game 6 on April 26, he amassed 30 points and 11 rebounds as Milwaukee defeated Miami 122–106 to close out the series 4–2.[102] In Game 1 of the second round against Boston on May 1
He finished with 42 points (the most ever by a Buck in a playoff game), 12 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals in a 113–107 victory.[103] Three nights later in Game 2, he had another strong performance with 30 points and 11 rebounds en route to a 128–123 overtime win that gave Milwaukee a 2–0 series lead.[104] In Game 3 on May 8 played through foul trouble to finish with 28 points (on 10-of-13 shooting), eight assists and eight rebounds as Boston evened up the series with a 120–106 home win.[105][106] Four days later

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid was the MVP of the NBA. He led the Philadelphia 76ers to the best record in the NBA and was the best player on the team. He is a great player and deserved the award.

Regular Season

The regular season is when each team plays 82 games, half at home and half on the road. The games are spread out over six months, from October to April. Joel Embiid played incredibly well this season, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a record of 52-30. He averaged 27.5 points per game, along with 13.6 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. These numbers earned him the title of MVP of the regular season.

Playoffs

In the 2019 NBA playoffs, Joel Embiid averaged 27.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field and 31.8% from three-point range. He was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for his playoff performance.

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook, point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, was the MVP of the NBA. He averaged a triple-double for the season, something that has only been done once before. He is an incredible player and deserved the MVP award.

Regular Season

Russell Westbrook had an incredible season, averaging a triple double and breaking the record for most triple doubles in a season. He was also named the MVP of the NBA.

Playoffs

In the playoffs, Westbrook averaged a triple-double of 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game, leading the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals, where they lost in seven games to the eventual NBA champion Golden State Warriors. For his performances, he was named MVP of the conference finals.