Who Won the MVP NBA Award in 2022?

We take a look at the leading contenders for the NBA MVP Award in 2022 and make our predictions for who will take home the coveted prize.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving, born on March 23, 1992, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Duke University before being drafted first overall in the 2011 NBA draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving was named NBA Rookie of the Year and an NBA All-Star in his first season. He won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Kyrie Andrew Irving (/ˈkaɪri/; born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named NBA Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. A five-time NBA All-Star and three-time All-NBA selection, he won an NBA championship in 2016 with Cleveland and was named the Finals MVP. He has also played for USA Basketball, winning a gold medal at the 2014 FIBA World Cup and another at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, Irving grew up in West Orange, New Jersey, before playing college basketball for Duke University. He captured national media attention when he committed to Duke despite having been widely regarded as one of the top high school players in his class, and led them to the 2010 NCAA championship game as a freshman before declaring for the draft that year.

2017 NBA Finals

Kyrie Irving was the star of the 2017 NBA Finals, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to an unlikely victory over the Golden State Warriors. He was named the Finals MVP, and his performance cemented his reputation as one of the best young players in the league.

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook, who plays for the Houston Rockets, is the most valuable player of the NBA for the 2022 season. This is the second time he has been given this honor.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook is an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a nine-time NBA All-Star, and a two-time NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player. He is also a six-time All-NBA Team member, and won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2017. He has led the league in scoring three times, and is the only player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season.

2017 NBA All-Star Game

The 2017 NBA All-Star Game was an exhibition basketball game that was played on February 19, 2017. This was the 66th edition of the NBA All-Star Game and was played at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The West won by a score of 192–182. Russell Westbrook scored a game-high 41 points and was named the Most Valuable Player. It was the second-highest scoring All-Star Game in history, behind only the 2003 All-Star Game, which also took place in New Orleans.

James Harden

James Harden takes home the 2022 MVP award after a record-breaking season with the Houston Rockets. He is the first player in NBA history to average over 50 points per game, and he led the Rockets to the best record in the league.

Houston Rockets

In 2022, James Harden became the first player in NBA history to win the MVP award unanimously. All 130 voters selected Harden for the award, making him the first unanimous MVP in NBA history.

2017 NBA Playoffs

In the 2017 NBA Playoffs, James Harden led the Houston Rockets to the Western Conference Finals, where they eventually lost to the Golden State Warriors. For his efforts, Harden was named the MVP of the playoffs.

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard, small forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, has been named the 2022 NBA Most Valuable Player. Leonard edged out Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Houston Rockets guard James Harden for the award.

San Antonio Spurs

In 2014, Leonard was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the second-youngest recipient of the award at age 22. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and selected to his first All-Star Game in 2016. The following year, he helped lead the Spurs to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2007. In 2019, Leonard led the Raptors to their first ever NBA Championship, winning his second Finals MVP award in the process.

2017 NBA Finals

In his first full season with the San Antonio Spurs, Kawhi Leonard was named the MVP of the 2014 NBA Finals after helping his team defeat the Miami Heat in five games. He is just the third player in Spurs history to win the award, joining Tim Duncan and David Robinson.

Leonard was born in Riverside, California, and played college basketball for two years at San Diego State University before being drafted by the Spurs with the 15th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. He quickly established himself as one of the best young players in the league, winning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2015 and 2016.

In 2017, Leonard’s play reached new heights as he averaged 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while leading the Spurs to a 61-21 record, good for second place in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, Leonard averaged 27.7 points per game as the Spurs defeated the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets before falling to the Golden State Warriors in four games in the Western Conference Finals.