LeBron James surpasses Michael Jordan with impressive NBA MVP record

LeBron James may not have delivered his most dominant performances this season, but he remained a crucial force for the Los Angeles Lakers. That didn’t go unnoticed by NBA MVP voters, allowing the forward to surpass a mark held by Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan.

Once Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was officially announced as this season’s MVP, the league published the complete breakdown of the final voting results. The Canadian guard from the Oklahoma City Thunder finished first with 913 total points, well ahead of Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, who earned 787.

Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo rounded out the top three with 470 points. Fourth place went to Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum with 311, followed by Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell with 74. Surprisingly, LeBron James finished sixth.

The Lakers forward received a total of 16 points—three from a 4th-place vote and 13 from 5th-place votes. That was enough to place him ahead of stars like Anthony Edwards, Stephen Curry, and Jalen Brunson, and to earn him a historic milestone in the NBA.

LeBron James received 14 votes for NBA MVP this season

LeBron James is now the oldest player in NBA history to receive MVP votes, surpassing Michael Jordan. At 40 years and 4 months old, Bron broke MJ’s record set during the first of his two seasons with the Washington Wizards, in 2002, when the shooting guard received MVP votes at the age of 39 years and 3 months, finishing 13th in the voting.

see also

Michael Jordan’s clear edge over LeBron James, explained by two-time NBA champion Kenny Smith

Interestingly, LeBron also holds the record for being the youngest player ever to receive MVP votes. In his rookie season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the forward—then just 19 years and 4 months old—finished sixth in the MVP race with 93 points. Although he was far behind the winner, Phoenix Suns’ Steve Nash, the performance etched LeBron’s name in NBA history and highlighted his impact on the game from an early age.

In the ongoing comparison between Jordan and James, however, the Bulls icon still holds a decisive edge. He won the league MVP five times during his career (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998), while the Lakers forward has won it four times (2009, 2010, 2012, and 2013). MJ was also named Finals MVP in all six of his championship appearances, while LeBron has earned that honor in four of his 10 NBA Finals appearances.