We have the list of all the NBA MVP Winners for you below. The award is earned by the top performing player from the NBA regular season. Since 1981, the MVP has been selected from a vote of sportswriters and broadcasters. It is normally announced during the NBA Playoffs, but the performance measured is from the regular season body of work by the athlete.
List of NBA MVP Winners
When you check out the list of NBA MVP winners, you’ll notice that the position of the player winning the award tends to go in groupings. Just when you think the big men won’t win it anymore, we go through a stretch like right now where it’s all power forwards and centers winning the award. That being said, the role of the center and power forward has evolved significantly over time.
While Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won the award a record six times and Bill Russell five times. They never took threes or played the role of “Point Forward” or “Point Center.” Michael Jordan has won the MVP five times as well as a shooting guard. LeBron James has won the MVP four times in his career.
NBA MVP WInners
We have broken up the list of NBA MVP winners so you can better follow the list. I list the winners out by season, winner, position, and team they played on during the regular season. Note, the NBA MVP selection is done purposely before the NBA Finals. There is a separate NBA Finals MVP award for the player who performs the best for the winning team. You can check out the list of teams who have won the NBA Finals here too.
| Season | Winner | Position | Team |
| 2023-24 | Nikola Jokić | Center | Denver Nuggets |
| 2022–23 | Joel Embiid | Center | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 2021–22 | Nikola Jokić | Center | Denver Nuggets |
| 2020–21 | Nikola Jokić | Center | Denver Nuggets |
| 2019–20 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Power forward | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2018–19 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Power forward | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2017–18 | James Harden | Shooting guard | Houston Rockets |
| 2016–17 | Russell Westbrook | Point guard | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2015–16 | Stephen Curry | Point guard | Golden State Warriors |
| 2014–15 | Stephen Curry | Point guard | Golden State Warriors |
| 2013–14 | Kevin Durant | Small forward | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 2012–13 | LeBron James | Small forward | Miami Heat |
| 2011–12 | LeBron James | Small forward | Miami Heat |
| 2010–11 | Derrick Rose | Point guard | Chicago Bulls |
| 2009–10 | LeBron James | Small forward | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2008–09 | LeBron James | Small forward | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2007–08 | Kobe Bryant | Shooting guard | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2006–07 | Dirk Nowitzki | Power forward | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2005–06 | Steve Nash | Point guard | Phoenix Suns |
| 2004–05 | Steve Nash | Point guard | Phoenix Suns |
| 2003–04 | Kevin Garnett | Power forward | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2002–03 | Tim Duncan | Power forward | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2001–02 | Tim Duncan | Power forward | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2000–01 | Allen Iverson | Shooting guard | Philadelphia 76ers |
NBA MVP Winners (1956-2000)
| Season | Winner | Position | Team |
| 1999–00 | Shaquille O’Neal | Center | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1998–99 | Karl Malone | Power forward | Utah Jazz |
| 1997–98 | Michael Jordan | Shooting guard | Chicago Bulls |
| 1996–97 | Karl Malone | Power forward | Utah Jazz |
| 1995–96 | Michael Jordan | Shooting guard | Chicago Bulls |
| 1994–95 | David Robinson | Center | San Antonio Spurs |
| 1993–94 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Center | Houston Rockets |
| 1992–93 | Charles Barkley | Power forward | Phoenix Suns |
| 1991–92 | Michael Jordan | Shooting guard | Chicago Bulls |
| 1990–91 | Michael Jordan | Shooting guard | Chicago Bulls |
| 1989–90 | Magic Johnson | Point guard | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1988–89 | Magic Johnson | Point guard | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1987–88 | Michael Jordan | Shooting guard | Chicago Bulls |
| 1986–87 | Magic Johnson | Point guard | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1985–86 | Larry Bird | Small forward | Boston Celtics |
| 1984–85 | Larry Bird | Small forward | Boston Celtics |
| 1983–84 | Larry Bird | Small forward | Boston Celtics |
| 1982–83 | Moses Malone | Center | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1981–82 | Moses Malone | Center | Houston Rockets |
| 1980–81 | Julius Erving | Small forward | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1979–80 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Center | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1978–79 | Moses Malone | Center | Houston Rockets |
| 1977–78 | Bill Walton | Center | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1976–77 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Center | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1975–76 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Center | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1974–75 | Bob McAdoo | Center | Buffalo Braves |
| 1973–74 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Center | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1972–73 | Dave Cowens | Center | Boston Celtics |
| 1971–72 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Center | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1970–71 | Lew Alcindor | Center | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1969–70 | Willis Reed | Center | New York Knicks |
| 1968–69 | Wes Unseld | Center | Baltimore Bullets |
| 1967–68 | Wilt Chamberlain | Center | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1966–67 | Wilt Chamberlain | Center | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1965–66 | Wilt Chamberlain | Center | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1964–65 | Bill Russell | Center | Boston Celtics |
| 1963–64 | Oscar Robertson | Point guard | Cincinnati Royals |
| 1962–63 | Bill Russell | Center | Boston Celtics |
| 1961–62 | Bill Russell | Center | Boston Celtics |
| 1960–61 | Bill Russell | Center | Boston Celtics |
| 1959–60 | Wilt Chamberlain | Center | Philadelphia Warriors |
| 1958–59 | Bob Pettit | Power forward | St. Louis Hawks |
| 1957–58 | Bill Russell | Center | Boston Celtics |
| 1956–57 | Bob Cousy | Point guard | Boston Celtics |
| 1955–56 | Bob Pettit | Power forward | St. Louis Hawks |
NBA MVP Highlights (Since 2001)
Here’s a cool highlight reel of the top NBA MVP plays for a grunch of the years since 2001.
