Who votes for NBA Finals MVP? Rules, panel, and selection process

As the NBA 2025 season nears its end, the Finals MVP title will be awarded. Here's everything to know.

Updated on: Jun 21, 2025, 16:41:03 IST

By HT News Desk

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The NBA 2025 season is almost drawing to an end with the final showdown scheduled to take place between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, June 22, at Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center. With this comes the all-pertinent question of which player is destined to secure the NBA Finals MVP title this season. Being distributed ever since 1969, the title has been awarded to some of the most legendary players in basketball history in the past and carries immense weight in value.

As the NBA 2025 season nears its end, the Finals MVP title will be awarded after the championship game.
Mandatory Credit: Maddie Meyer-Pool Photo via Imagn Images TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) — As the NBA 2025 season nears its end, the Finals MVP title will be awarded after the championship game. Mandatory Credit: Maddie Meyer-Pool Photo via Imagn Images TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

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Selection process

The decision to appoint the NBA Finals MVP title is taken by a panel of 100 distinguished sportswriters and broadcasters from across the United States and Canada. The identities of these panelists are kept confidential until after the results have been declared. Up until the 1970-80 season, this task was left up to NBA players.

This panel is then responsible for voting for their top 5 candidates from the series. According to the latest set of rules, a player must have played in at least 65 games per season to be eligible. These players are then accorded positions by each panelist. Factors like individual statistics, team success, and overall impact on the league are usually considered while filling out the ballot.

These are the points given to each position ranking:

1st place- 10 points

2nd place- 7 points

3rd place- 5 points

4th place- 3 points

5th place- 1 point

The player who manages to secure the highest number of points from a tally of all panelists is then awarded the title.

According to recent reports, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic are in the race to clinch the coveted title this season.

(By Stuti Gupta)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

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