These would have been the MVP winners if you could only receive the award once
There are many NBA players with multiple MVP awards, including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who won six such accolades in his career, the most of any player ever. His lead there should be pretty safe, too, especially as LeBron James’ career continues to wind down. James has four in his own right.
But what if NBA players could only win the award once in their careers, as is the case with, for example, writers and the Literature Nobel prize.
We went back in time and looked up the MVP vote through the years to find out.
Check out the results below.
1955-56: Bob Pettit
Darryl Norenberg-USA TODAY Sports Network
Finished first in the MVP vote
1956-57: Bob Cousy
(AP Photo)
Finished first in the MVP vote
1957-58: Bill Russell
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Finished first in the MVP vote
1958-59: Elgin Baylor
(AP Photo/File)
Finished third in the MVP vote after Bob Pettit and Bill Russell
1959-60: Wilt Chamberlain
(AP Photo/Warren M. Winterbottom, File)
Finished first in the MVP vote
1960-61: Oscar Robertson
(AP Photo)
Finished fifth in the MVP vote after Bill Russell, Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain
1961-62: Jerry West
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2004 Malcolm Emmons
Finished fifth in the MVP vote after Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor
1962-63: Red Kerr
(AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler)
Finished in the MVP vote sixth after Bill Russell, Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Bob Pettit and Jerry West
1963-64: Hal Greer or Gus Johnson
Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sports
Finished sixth in the MVP vote after Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Bob Pettit and Jerry West
1964-65: Sam Jones
Darryl Norenberg-USA TODAY Sports Network
Finished fourth in the MVP vote after Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West
1965-66: Jerry Lucas
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Finished fifth in the MVP vote after Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell
1966-67: Nate Thurmond
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Finished in the MVP vote second after Wilt Chamberlain
1967-68: Lenny Wilkens
Darryl Norenberg-USA TODAY Sports
Finished second in the MVP vote after Wilt Chamberlain
1968-69: Wes Unseld
Malcolm Emmons- USA TODAY Sports
Finished first in the MVP vote
1969-70: Willis Reed
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Network.
Finished first in the MVP vote
1970-71: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Network.
Finished first in the MVP vote
1971-72: John Havlicek
Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
Finished fourth in the MVP vote after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain
1972-73: Dave Cowens
Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
Finished first in the MVP vote
1973-74: Bob McAdoo
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Finished second in the MVP vote after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1974-75: Elvin Hayes
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Network.
Finished third in the MVP vote after Bob McAdoo and Dave Cowens
1975-76: Rick Barry
Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports
Finished fourth in the MVP vote after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob McAdoo and Dave Cowens
1976-77: Bill Walton
(Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Finished second in the MVP vote after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1977-78: George Gervin
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports © Copyright Malcolm Emmons
Finished second in the MVP vote after Bill Walton
1978-79: Moses Malone
(Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
Finished first in the MVP vote
1979-80: Julius Erving
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Finished second in the MVP vote after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1980-81: Larry Bird
(Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
Finished second in the MVP vote after Julius Erving
1981-82: Robert Parish
(AP Photo)
Finished fourth in the MVP vote after Moses Malone, Larry Bird and Julius Erving
1982-83: Magic Johnson
Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports – copyright (c) Malcolm Emmons
Finished third in the MVP vote after Moses Malone and Larry Bird
1983-84: Bernard King
(Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
Finished second in the MVP vote after Larry Bird
1984-85: Terry Cummings
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Finished fifth in the MVP vote after Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Moses Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1985-86: Dominique Wilkins
USA TODAY Sports
Finished second in the MVP vote after Larry Bird
1986-87: Michael Jordan
(Photos by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
Finished second in the MVP vote after Magic Johnson
1987-88: Charles Barkley
(Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Finished fourth in the MVP vote after Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson
1988-89: Karl Malone
USA TODAY Sports
Finished third in the MVP vote after Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan
1989-90: Patrick Ewing
(AP Photo/Susan Ragan)
Finished fifth in the MVP vote after Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan and Karl Malone
1990-91: David Robinson
(AP Photo/Olga Shalygin)
Finished third in the MVP vote after Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson
1991-92: Clyde Drexler
USA TODAY Sports
Finished second in the MVP vote after Michael Jordan
1992-93: Hakeem Olajuwon
By USA TODAY Sports (c) Copyright USA TODAY Sports
Finished second in the MVP vote after Charles Barkley
1993-94: Scottie Pippen
(AP Photo/Fred Jewell)
Finished third in the MVP vote after Hakeem Olajuwon and David Robinson
1994-95: Shaquille O’Neal
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Finished second in the MVP vote after David Robinson
1995-96: Anfernee Hardaway
RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
Finished third in the MVP vote after Michael Jordan and David Robinson
1996-97: Grant Hill
MATT CAMPBELL/AFP via Getty Images
Finished third in the MVP vote after Karl Malone and Michael Jordan
1997-98: Gary Payton
(DAN LEVINE/AFP via Getty Images)
Finished third in the MVP vote after Michael Jordan and Karl Malone
1998-99: Alonzo Mourning
(ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
Finished second in the MVP vote after Karl Malone
1999-00: Kevin Garnett
(CRAIG LASSIG/AFP via Getty Images)
Finished second in the MVP vote after Shaquille O’Neal
2000-01: Allen Iverson
(JEFF HAYNES/AFP via Getty Images)
Finished first in the MVP vote
2001-02: Tim Duncan
(Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
Finished first in the MVP vote
2002-03: Kobe Bryant
(Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
Finished third in the MVP vote after Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett
2003-04: Jermaine O’Neal
(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Finished third in the MVP vote after Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan
2004-05: Steve Nash
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Finished first in the MVP vote
2005-06: LeBron James
(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Finished second in the MVP vote after Steve Nash
2006-07: Dirk Nowitzki
(Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
Finished first in the MVP vote
2007-08: Chris Paul
(Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Finished second in the MVP vote after Kobe Bryant
2008-09: Dwyane Wade
(AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Finished third in the MVP vote after LeBron James and Kobe Bryant
2009-10: Kevin Durant
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Finished second in the MVP vote after LeBron James
2010-11: Derrick Rose
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Finished first in the MVP vote
2011-12: Tony Parker
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Finished fifth in the MVP vote after LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant
2012-13: Carmelo Anthony
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Finished third in the MVP vote after LeBron James and Kevin Durant
2013-14: Blake Griffin
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
Finished third in the MVP vote after Kevin Durant and LeBron James
2014-15: Stephen Curry
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Finished first in the MVP vote
2015-16: Kawhi Leonard
Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Finished second in the MVP vote after Stephen Curry
2016-17: Russell Westbrook
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Finished first in the MVP vote
2017-18: James Harden
Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Finished first in the MVP vote
2018-19: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Finished first in the MVP vote
2019-20: Luka Doncic
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Finished fourth in the MVP vote after Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James and James Harden
2020-21: Nikola Jokic
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Finished first in the MVP vote