NBA Players With Most MVP Awards In NBA History

The NBA Most Valuable Player Award is a prestigious honour in professional basketball. It is given to the player who has had the most significant impact on their team throughout the NBA regular season. The recipient is chosen by a group of sports broadcasters and writers, which is a tremendous honour.

Since 1956, the NBA MVP Award has been a vital component of the NBA. Some of the best players of all time have won it, including Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. It represents excellence for both athletes and supporters.

Winning the NBA MVP Award is extremely prestigious. It honours great performances during the NBA regular season. At the NBA’s annual awards ceremony, the award winners are recognised as the best players in the league that season, ranking among basketball’s elite.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar- 6 (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980)

One of the most aggravating aspects about all this debate about Mount Rushmores and the greatest players of all time is that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is sometimes disregarded. Abdul-Jabbar earned six NBA MVP awards, three with the Milwaukee Bucks and three with the Los Angeles Lakers. 

He was an enormously influential figure. Not only did he put the ball in the basket, but he also won six NBA titles during his career. Even though the game has evolved dramatically away from post play, he remains the league’s all-time leading scorer, because to his signature skyhook, which was just unstoppable.

2. Bill Russell- 5 (1958, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965)

Bill Russell was the first player ever to win three MVP awards in a row. The Boston Celtics dominated the NBA from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s, winning 11 titles. He also has the record for the most titles won by any player, with 11 rings to his name.

3. Michael Jordan- 5 (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998)

Michael Jordan has five MVPs, tied with Bill Russell. This shouldn’t surprise anyone. Jordan is regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time, and his Chicago Bulls dominated the 1990s with two three-peats. Jordan won his first MVP award in just his fourth NBA season, averaging 35 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.2 steals per game, according to NBC Sports.

4. Wilt Chamberlain- 4 (1960, 1966, 1967, 1968)

With all of Wilt Chamberlain’s incredible scoring accomplishments, you may think he has more than four NBA MVPs. Four is nothing to sneeze at, as Chamberlain was the second player after Bill Russell to win the MVP three years in a row.  In fact, he would have earned a few more MVPs if Russell hadn’t won the award in seasons when Chamberlain averaged 50.4 and 44.8 points, respectively.

5. Lebron James- 4 (2009, 2010, 2012, 2013)

LeBron James, who shares four MVPs with Chamberlain, rounds out our top five list of NBA MVP winners. Even though LeBron has just four MVPs, others say that he deserved to earn more, particularly after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers to titles. 

Fun Fact

In over 60 years of NBA MVP history, only five non-American players have won the award. This includes Steve Nash of Canada, who secured it twice, Dirk Nowitzki from Germany, Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece, a two-time recipient, and Nikola Jokic from Serbia, who has won the title twice, making him the third European player to achieve this honor.

Consecutive MVP Awards

Several NBA players have won consecutive MVP honours. Bill Russell is one of the most iconic players, having earned four MVP trophies in a row from 1961 to 1964. Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, and LeBron James have won this award twice in a row, showcasing their talent and court dominance.

Surprisingly, Michael Jordan, regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, only received back-to-back awards in his seventh season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who holds the record for the most career MVP honours, only won consecutive awards once. However, their talent and contribution in the game cannot be overlooked.

NBA Players with Multiple MVP Awards