The NBA Finals are legacy-defining moments. That's where good players become great players and great players become basketball legends. That's why so many Hall of Famers have never been able to win an NBA Championship.
If winning a ring is hard, imagine being named Finals MVP. You have to stand out from the rest of the pack, rise to the occasion after enduring a full season, play through injuries, visit hostile environments, and still deliver.
Unsurprisingly, the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award (formerly known as NBA Finals MVP Award) has gone to some of the most dominant and iconic players to ever lace them up.
Just 11 players have been able to win this award more than once since they started choosing it in 1969, with Michael Jordan leading the race with 6. The award is given out by an 11-judge panel of media members.
In this article, we're going to honor every single one of the winners of this prestigious accolade, listing all the NBA Finals MVP winners by year and also including the team they played for.
NBA Finals: All Finals MVP By Year
| Year | Winner | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Jerry West | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1970 | Willis Reed | New York Knicks |
| 1971 | Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1972 | Wilt Chamberlain | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1973 | Willis Reed |
New York Knicks |
| 1974 | John Havlicek | Boston Celtics |
| 1975 | Rick Barry | Golden State Warriors |
| 1976 | Jo Jo White | Boston Celtics |
| 1977 | Bill Walton | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 1978 | Wes Unseld | Washington Bullets |
| 1979 | Dennis Johnson | Seattle Supersonics |
| 1980 | Magic Johnson | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1981 | Cedric Maxwell | Boston Celtics |
| 1982 | Magic Johnson |
Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1983 | Moses Malone | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1984 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics |
| 1985 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1986 | Larry Bird | Boston Celtics |
| 1987 | Magic Johnson |
Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1988 | James Worthy | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1989 | Joe Dumars | Detroit Pistons |
| 1990 | Isiah Thomas | Detroit Pistons |
| 1991 | Michael Jordan |
Chicago Bulls |
| 1992 | Michael Jordan |
Chicago Bulls |
| 1993 | Michael Jordan |
Chicago Bulls |
| 1994 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets |
| 1995 | Hakeem Olajuwon |
Houston Rockets |
| 1996 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls |
| 1997 | Michael Jordan |
Chicago Bulls |
| 1998 | Michael Jordan |
Chicago Bulls |
| 1999 | Tim Duncan | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2000 | Shaquille O'Neal |
Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2001 | Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2002 | Shaquille O'Neal |
Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2003 | Tim Duncan |
San Antonio Spurs |
| 2004 | Chauncey Billups | Detroit Pistons |
| 2005 | Tim Duncan |
San Antonio Spurs |
| 2006 | Dwyane Wade | Miami Heat |
| 2007 | Tony Parker | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2008 | Paul Pierce | Boston Celtics |
| 2009 | Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2010 | Kobe Bryant |
Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2011 | Dirk Nowitzki | Dallas Mavericks |
| 2012 | LeBron James |
Miami Heat |
| 2013 | LeBron James |
Miami Heat |
| 2014 | Kawhi Leonard | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2015 | Andre Iguodala | Golden State Warriors |
| 2016 | LeBron James |
Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2017 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors |
| 2018 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors |
| 2019 | Kawhi Leonard |
Toronto Raptors |
| 2020 | LeBron James | Los Angeles Lakers |
Giannis Antetokounmpo won the 2021 Finals MVP as the Milwaukee Bucks became the NBA Champions after beating the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in the 2021 NBA Finals.
