Shai Gilgeous-Alexander MVP? List of players who won the season and finals MVP in the same year
Shai Gilgeous- Alexander will join an elite list of players who won both the Kia NBA season MVP and the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP in the same season.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the front-runner for winning the NBA Finals MVP, taking the Oklahoma City Thunder to the cusp of their first-ever NBA title against the Indiana Pacers.
If so, he will join an elite list of players who won both the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player award (season MVP) and the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP in the same season. It’s a rare feat reserved for the game’s all-time greats. Here is a look at the select group of players who have dominated the entire season from start to the NBA Finals, earning both MVP honours in the same unforgettable campaign.
LeBron James, Miami Heat (2013)
LeBron James was the latest player to win both MVP awards in the same season before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, doing so for the Miami Heat in both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons.
In 2012-13, he averaged 26.8 points on a blistering 56.5% from the field, along with 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 0.9 blocks across 76 regular-season games. He led the league in field goals made (10.1) for the fourth straight year and topped 40% from three for the first time in his 10-year career. James powered the Heat to back-to-back championships and earned his second straight Finals MVP, putting up 25.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists, 2.3 steals and 0.9 blocks per game in a seven-game classic against the San Antonio Spurs.
In 2011-12, LeBron James averaged 27.1 points on 53.1% shooting, along with 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.9 steals in a lockout-shortened 62-game season. In five Finals games against the Oklahoma City Thunder, James posted 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 1.6 steals en route to his first NBA championship and Finals MVP.
LeBron became just the third player in NBA history to win MVP and Finals MVP in the same year more than once, joining Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.
Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs (2003)
Tim Duncan earned back-to-back season MVPs in 2002 and 2003. He then topped his second season with a dominant playoff run.
Duncan averaged 23.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 2.9 blocks in 81 games that season. He played his heart out in that year's NBA Finals, averaging 24.2 points, 17.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steals and 5.3 blocks over six games in a 4–2 win over the New Jersey Nets.
Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls (1998)
Michael Jordan is the only player in NBA history to win both the season MVP and the Finals MVP in the same year four times in his career. He played in a total of six finals, winning all of them. And he achieved the double feat in the 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998 seasons.
Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets (1994)
Hakeem Olajuwon powered the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995 and remains the NBA’s all-time leader in playoff blocks per game (3.3). He won MVP in 1994 by averaging 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 3.7 blocks across 80 games. In the Finals vs. New York Knicks, Olajuwon put up 26.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 3.9 blocks on 50/100/86 shooting splits across seven games.
Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers (1987)
Magic Johnson won his first NBA Finals MVP as a rookie and had four straight top-3 MVP finishes before finally claiming the regular season award in 1987. He averaged 23.9 points and led the league in assists, then helped the Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Boston Celtics in six games. Johnson earned his third Finals MVP with averages of 26.2 points, 8.0 rebounds and 13.0 assists.
Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers (1983)
After winning MVP with the Rockets in 1982, Moses Malone was traded to Philadelphia, where he won his second straight MVP with 24.5 points and a league-high 15.3 rebounds in 1983. He led the Sixers to their first title in nearly 20 years, dominating the Lakers in the Finals with 25.8 points and 18.0 rebounds per game.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks (1971)
Kareem Abdul Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) averaged 31.7 points and 16.0 rebounds to win his first MVP in just his second NBA season in 1971. He led the Milwaukee Bucks through the playoffs and into the Finals, where they swept the Baltimore Bullets. Kareem averaged 27.0 points and 18.5 rebounds over those four games to earn Finals MVP honours.
Willis Reed, New York Knicks (1970)
Willis Reed became the first player to win the season NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP in the same season in 1970. He averaged 21.7 points and 13.9 rebounds in the regular season, and 23.7 and 13.8 in the playoffs. Reed’s iconic moment came in Game 7 of the Finals, when he returned from a thigh injury to start and inspire the New York Knicks to their first championship.
