Who Won the NBA MVP 2021?

We take a look at the top contenders for the NBA MVP 2021 award and make our predictions for who will take home the trophy.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the Bucks’ franchise player and was the 2019–20 NBA Most Valuable Player. He is also a two-time NBA All-Star and two-time All-NBA First Team member.

Regular season statistics

In his seventh NBA season, Antetokounmpo averaged a career-high 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.0 block per game while shooting a league-leading 62.9 percent from the field and a career-high 68.9 percent from the free throw line. He was one of only two players in the NBA to average at least 29 points, 13 rebounds and five assists per game, joining Russell Westbrook (32.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 10.7 assists).

Post-season statistics

In the 2020 playoffs, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game, and 5.8 assists per game. He shot 53.5% from the field, and 35.6% from three-point range. In the 2020 NBA Finals, he averaged 29.5 points per game, 13.6 rebounds per game, and 5.6 assists per game, as the Bucks lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games.

LeBron James

For the fifth time in his career, LeBron James has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player. The Los Angeles Lakers star was announced as the winner of the 2020-21 award on Thursday, edging out Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia In total, James has now won four regular season MVPs and one Finals MVP.

Regular season statistics

In his first season with the Lakers, James played in all 82 games for the first time since the 2009–10 season. He averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game, and was named to the All-NBA First Team for the 16th time in his career. He led the league in assists per game for the first time in his career (tying John Stockton’s record for most All-Star Game appearances as an All-Star starter), and also finished third in steals per game (1.52). On November 27, he recorded his 34th career triple-double with 24 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists against the San Antonio Spurs. It was also his 11th career quadruple-double when including blocks; he had four against San Antonio that night. With this performance, James joined Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook as the only players ever to have at least 11 triple-doubles and 10 quadruple-doubles in their careers. On December 25, he scored a then season-high 44 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Three days later, he had 30 points and 12 assists against former team the Cleveland Cavaliers en route to a 128–99 victory.

Post-season statistics

LeBron Raymone James Sr. (/ləˈbrɒn/; born December 30, 1984) 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. Discussions ranking him as the greatest player of all time have often been subject to significant debate, with frequent comparisons to Michael Jordan.

James played high school basketball at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar. A prep-to-pro, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers at age 18 as the first overall draft pick in 2003. He won Rookie of the Year that year and quickly became one of the league’s top players. After failing to win a championship with Cleveland, James left in 2010 to sign as a free agent with Miami Heat. This move was announced in an ESPN special titled The Decision, and is one of several events that made him a highly controversial figure.

With Miami, James won NBA championships in 2012 and 2013 and reached the Finals again in 2014 and 2015, winning his third championship in 2016 to conclude an historic 12–0 run through the NBA playoffs. In 2016, he became only the seventh player ever to win an NBA championship three times or more; he joined Jordan, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West on that prestigious list when he helped lead his hometown Cavaliers back from a 3–1 deficit against the defending champion Golden State Warriors to capture his first title since 2002 with Cleveland. Remarkable consistency has defined James’ career; he has appeared in seventeen consecutive NBA Finals as of 2020 (a league record), while also being named Most Valuable Player four times (2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013), Finals MVP three times (2012–2013–2016) and Defensive Player of the Year once (2009). Furthermore LeBron is currently second all time for Playoff points scored behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar He has been voted onto fifteen All-NBA teams including twelve times into First Team status as well eleven All-Defensive Teams including nine First team selectionsand led his teams to nine appearances in the NBA Finals including eight consecutive seasons from 2010 -2018 which is also an NBA record He has also been selected ten times into All Star games including nine starts winning All Star MVP honors twice(2006 & 2018) LeBron has also accumulated numerous other awards and accolades including two gold medals representing Team USA at Olympics(2008 & 2012) often being compared head to head with Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan

Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid is a Congolese professional basketball player for the Philadelphia ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks, where he was named a consensus first-team All-American and the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in his lone season. Embiid was selected with the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft by the ers.

Regular season statistics

GP: 56
GS: 56
MPG: 34.0
FG%: 51.8
3P%: 36.7
FT%: 86.5
REB: 11.2
AST: 3.5
BLK: 1.3
STL: 0.9
PTS: 28.5
Efficient shooting percentages (eFG% and TS%): 59.3 and 62.5

Post-season statistics

In the playoffs, Embiid averaged 27.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. He shot 56.6 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three-point range. He was also named to the All-NBA Second Team and the All-Defensive First Team.

Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets has been named the 2021 NBA MVP. He is the first European-born player to win the award. Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game this season. He led the Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals.

Regular season statistics

PPG: 27.4
MPG: 34.6
3P%: 36.4
​
RPG: 8.3
APG: 8.7
BPG: 0.9
SPG: 1.2

Post-season statistics

In the playoffs, Jokić averaged 27.1 points, 11.0 rebounds and 8.6 assists in 35.8 minutes per game, while shooting 56.6 percent from the field and 39 percent from three-point range. He also became the first player in NBA history to average at least 25 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a playoff series, doing so against the Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference Semifinals. Overall, he averaged 25.4 points (on 55 percent shooting), 13 rebounds and 8.3 assists during the postseason

Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard won the NBA MVP for the 2020-2021 season. He is a small forward for the Los Angeles Clippers. Leonard is known for his defense and his shooting. He was drafted in the 2011 NBA draft by the Indiana Pacers.

Regular season statistics

In his first season with the Clippers, Leonard averaged 27.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game, while shooting 49.0 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three-point range. He was named to the All-NBA First Team for the fifth time in his career. Leonard was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year for the second time, becoming just the third player in NBA history to win the award multiple times.

Post-season statistics

In the 2020 NBA Playoffs, Leonard averaged 27.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 49.6 percent from the field and 37.6 percent from three-point range. He was second in the playoffs in scoring behind James and his 27.1 points per game average was a career-high. He also led the Clippers in rebounding and assists during the playoffs. In Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals against Denver, Leonard scored a game-high 34 points to go along with 14 rebounds and five assists, leading the Clippers to a 104–89 victory and a series win.

Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2020-21 season. Gobert becomes the first Jazz player to ever win the award and just the second player in franchise history to take home the league’s top individual honor, joining Karl Malone, who was named the NBA’s MVP in 1997 and 1999.

Regular season statistics

Rudy Gobert led the NBA in blocks per game and total blocks, and was second in field goal percentage. He also averaged career-highs in points and rebounds.

Post-season statistics

In the playoffs, Gobert averaged 15.1 points, 13.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game, while shooting 63.6% from the field and 60% from the free throw line. He helped the Jazz advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2012, where they lost to the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games. For his efforts, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Paul George and Antetokounmpo.

Chris Paul

Chris Paul, the longtime NBA point guard, has won his first MVP award. The 35-year-old led the Phoenix Suns to the best record in the league and was integral to their success. He is the oldest player to win the award and is the first Suns player to do so.

Regular season statistics

In 80 games during the 2020–21 regular season, Paul averaged 17.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per game, shooting 48.9 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from three-point range, and 86.2 percent from the free throw line. He led the NBA in assists per game for the second straight season and helped the Suns finish with the league’s second-best record at 51–21.

Post-season statistics

In the 2008 playoffs, Paul averaged 21.1 points, 7.8 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game. He led the Hornets to their first-ever playoff series win in franchise history as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the First Round, before losing to the San Antonio Spurs in seven games in the Semifinals. For his efforts, Paul was named to his second All-NBA Defensive First Team and finished second behind Kobe Bryant in voting for the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award.

In 2009, Paul was selected as one of 30 finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010. He later helped Team USA win a gold medal at the 2010 FIBA World Championship after averaging 8.7 points and 5.2 assists per game.

Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2020-21 season. Lillard received 785 points, including 96 first-place votes, from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, last year’s MVP, finished second with 663 points, including 58 first-place votes.

Regular season statistics

In 71 games, Lillard averaged 28.8 points (second in the NBA), 7.5 assists (sixth in the NBA), and 4.3 rebounds per game. He shot 46.7 percent from the field, 37.6 percent from three-point range, and 92.2 percent from the free throw line. He also became just the sixth player in NBA history to average at least 28 points and seven assists while shooting over 37 percent from three-point range in a season, joining Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, and Jerry West.

Post-season statistics

In the playoffs, Lillard averaged 30.0 points (on 47.7% shooting), 4.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists in 36.9 minutes per game, while shooting 37.6% from three-point range and 92.5% from the free throw line. He led the Blazers to the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, where they lost to eventual NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, in five games. In Game 5 of that series, with his team trailing by 12 points with under 10 minutes remaining, Lillard made a game-tying three-pointer with under half a second left on the clock to force overtime; the Blazers went on to lose 139–132 in double overtime.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets has been named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for 2021. This is the first time Irving has won the award. He earned 86 first-place votes and 547 total points from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.

Regular season statistics

During the 2020–21 season, Irving averaged 27.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game, shooting 50.1% from the field, 41.2% from three-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line. He led the Nets to their first ever Eastern Conference regular season title, and was named to the NBA All-Star Game for the seventh time in his career.

Post-season statistics

In the bubble, Irving averaged 27.4 points, 6.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 49.3% from the field and 39.4% from three-point range. He led the Nets to a perfect 7–0 record in the seeding games and was named one of the three finalists for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Award, alongside Antetokounmpo and Houston Rockets guard James Harden. In Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs against the Eastern Conference’s number seven seed Philadelphia 76ers, Irving scored 37 points in a 131–134 loss; he missed a potential game-winner at the end of regulation. In Game 4, Irving scored 50 points—including 22 in the fourth quarter and overtime—as the Nets defeated the 76ers 120–108 to even up their series at two apiece; it was his sixth career 50-point game and first in the playoffs. The Nets went on to win their first-round series in seven games with a 112–108 victory in Game 7, with Irving scoring 28 points; he averaged 34.3 points during that series, setting a franchise playoff record for most points per game in a single series.

James Harden

James Harden had an incredible season and was rightfully crowned the MVP. He averaged 34.3 points, 7.5 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game. He also shot 44.2% from the field and 37.4% from three-point range.

Regular season statistics

James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Arizona State, where he was named a consensus All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2009. Harden was selected with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2012, he was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year with the Thunder and helped lead them to the NBA Finals.

In 2012, Harden was traded to Houston, where he became one of the league’s most prolific scorers and earned recognition as the best shooting guard in the NBA, as well as one of the top overall players in the league. He has been named to seven All-Star teams, winning two All-Star MVP Awards (2018, 2019), and earned All-NBA First Team honors five times. He has also led the league in scoring three times (2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21) and assists once (2019–20).

In 2018, Harden won his first MVP Award after averaging 36.1 points per game over the course of the regular season. He helped lead Houston to an appearance in the Western Conference Finals that year before losing to eventual champion Golden State in seven games. The following season, he helped Houston return to the NBA Finals after defeating Golden State in six games in their first head-to-head playoff series since 2016. They lost in six games to Toronto Raptors.

Harden is a five-time member of USA Basketball, winning gold medals at both FIBA World Cup 2010 and 2014 while also winning an Olympic gold medal at 2012 Summer Olympics.

Post-season statistics

Since the 2016–17 season, Harden has been one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA. He is one of only four players to average at least 30 points per game in each of the last five seasons, joining Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kobe Bryant. In 2019–20, he became the first player in NBA history to average at least 35 points and seven assists per game in a single season. He led the league in scoring for a second consecutive year with 34.3 points per game, and also led the league in assists with 7.5 per game, becoming the first player ever to average over 34 points and 7 assists per game in a season. For his efforts, he was named the NBA’s MVP that season.

In the playoffs, Harden’s scoring averages have increased to 29.3 points per game since 2016–17. He ranks sixth among active players in career playoff points scored (4,642). His best postseason came in 2018 when he helped lead the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals while averaging 30.4 points (second in the playoffs), 8.8 assists (fifth), and 5.4 rebounds per game.