Honestly, the list of finals mvp nba winners is a bit like a Mount Rushmore that keeps getting new faces carved into it every June. It's the ultimate "who's who" of basketball royalty. But if you look closely at the names from 1969 to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2025, there are some weird, almost glitch-in-the-matrix moments that most casual fans totally overlook.
You've probably heard the name Jerry West. He’s the logo. But did you know he’s the only person on the entire list of finals mvp nba to win the trophy while playing for the team that lost?
It happened in 1969. The Lakers lost to the Celtics in seven games. West was so undeniably dominant—averaging nearly 38 points—that they gave him the trophy anyway. He hated it. He later called it "meaningless" because he didn't get the ring. Since then, the NBA basically decided "never again," and the award has gone to the winning side every single year.
The Mount Everest of the Finals MVP List
When you talk about the list of finals mvp nba, there is Michael Jordan, and then there is everyone else.
Jordan has six. Six! He won it every single time he reached the Finals. He didn't just win; he owned the decade. He’s the only player to pull off two separate "three-peats" of the award (1991-1993 and 1996-1998).
Then you have LeBron James. He’s sitting at four, but his stats are arguably weirder. LeBron is the only guy to win the award with three different franchises: the Heat, the Cavs, and the Lakers. It shows a level of "hired gun" dominance we've never really seen before.
Multi-Time Winners Who Defined Eras
- Magic Johnson: 3 wins. He's the youngest ever to win it (20 years old in 1980). He started at center as a rookie because Kareem was hurt. That’s just legendary.
- Shaquille O'Neal: 3 wins. The only guy besides MJ to win three in a row. From 2000 to 2002, there was literally no human being on earth who could stop him.
- Tim Duncan: 3 wins. The "Big Fundamental" won his first in 1999 and his last in 2005. His longevity was quiet but devastating.
- Nikola Jokić: 1 win (2023). He’s the first player from Serbia to grab it, proving the global game has officially taken over.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 1 win (2025). The newest member of the club. SGA led the OKC Thunder to their first title since moving from Seattle, cementing himself as the face of the new era.
The Statistical Outliers and "How Did They Win?" Moments
Sometimes the list of finals mvp nba isn't about the biggest superstar. Sometimes it's about the guy who just happened to catch lightning in a bottle for two weeks.
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Take Andre Iguodala in 2015. He didn't even start a game for the Warriors until Game 4. He won the award mostly for his defense on LeBron James. It’s one of the few times a "role player" (if you can call an All-Star that) jumped over the team's primary star (Steph Curry) to take the hardware.
Then there's Wes Unseld in 1978. He averaged 9 points. Seriously. In an era where centers were expected to score 30, Unseld won by being a brick wall on defense and throwing the best outlet passes in history. It's a reminder that "value" isn't always about the box score.
Recent History: A Shift in Power
The 2020s have been a bit of a whirlwind. For a long time, the list of finals mvp nba was dominated by the same few guys. Now? It’s wide open.
2021 was Giannis. He dropped 50 in the clincher. 2022 was finally Steph Curry’s year to get the one trophy missing from his shelf. 2024 saw Jaylen Brown take it for the Celtics, even though many thought Jayson Tatum was the "alpha."
And then we get to 2025. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning with the Thunder felt like a shift in the tectonic plates of the league. It signaled that the "Old Guard" of LeBron, KD, and Steph had finally, truly handed over the keys.
Every Finals MVP by Year (1969-2025)
1969: Jerry West (Lakers) - Losing Team
1970: Willis Reed (Knicks)
1971: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Bucks)
1972: Wilt Chamberlain (Lakers)
1973: Willis Reed (Knicks)
1974: John Havlicek (Celtics)
1975: Rick Barry (Warriors)
1976: Jo Jo White (Celtics)
1977: Bill Walton (Blazers)
1978: Wes Unseld (Bullets)
1979: Dennis Johnson (Sonics)
1980: Magic Johnson (Lakers)
1981: Cedric Maxwell (Celtics)
1982: Magic Johnson (Lakers)
1983: Moses Malone (76ers)
1984: Larry Bird (Celtics)
1985: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lakers)
1986: Larry Bird (Celtics)
1987: Magic Johnson (Lakers)
1988: James Worthy (Lakers)
1989: Joe Dumars (Pistons)
1990: Isiah Thomas (Pistons)
1991: Michael Jordan (Bulls)
1992: Michael Jordan (Bulls)
1993: Michael Jordan (Bulls)
1994: Hakeem Olajuwon (Rockets)
1995: Hakeem Olajuwon (Rockets)
1996: Michael Jordan (Bulls)
1997: Michael Jordan (Bulls)
1998: Michael Jordan (Bulls)
1999: Tim Duncan (Spurs)
2000: Shaquille O'Neal (Lakers)
2001: Shaquille O'Neal (Lakers)
2002: Shaquille O'Neal (Lakers)
2003: Tim Duncan (Spurs)
2004: Chauncey Billups (Pistons)
2005: Tim Duncan (Spurs)
2006: Dwyane Wade (Heat)
2007: Tony Parker (Spurs)
2008: Paul Pierce (Celtics)
2009: Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
2010: Kobe Bryant (Lakers)
2011: Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks)
2012: LeBron James (Heat)
2013: LeBron James (Heat)
2014: Kawhi Leonard (Spurs)
2015: Andre Iguodala (Warriors)
2016: LeBron James (Cavaliers)
2017: Kevin Durant (Warriors)
2018: Kevin Durant (Warriors)
2019: Kawhi Leonard (Raptors)
2020: LeBron James (Lakers)
2021: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
2022: Stephen Curry (Warriors)
2023: Nikola Jokić (Nuggets)
2024: Jaylen Brown (Celtics)
2025: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder)
Why This Award Matters More Than the Regular Season MVP
If you ask any player, they’ll tell you the Bill Russell Trophy (the name of the Finals MVP award) is the one they actually want.
Regular season MVPs are about stats and narrative over 82 games. Finals MVPs are about who didn't blink when the lights were the brightest. You can be the "best player in the world" in February, but if you disappear in June, your name doesn't make this list.
Look at Kawhi Leonard. He’s not a guy who cares about regular-season stats. He sits out games. He manages his load. But in 2014 and 2019, he turned into a cyborg. He won Finals MVPs with two different franchises in two different conferences. That puts him in a very elite room with LeBron James.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you’re looking to truly understand the greatness of these players, don’t just look at the points per game. Look at the context.
- Check the Age: The "sweet spot" for winning this award is usually between 24 and 35. Magic and Kareem are the outliers on both ends.
- Watch for Defensive Impact: Players like Iguodala, Kawhi (in 2014), and Unseld won because of what they did on the other end of the floor.
- Observe the "Robin" Factor: Sometimes the second-best player on the team wins because the defense focuses so much on the superstar (like Jaylen Brown vs. Jayson Tatum).
The list of finals mvp nba winners is more than just a table of names. It is the history of the league's evolution from the post-dominance of Wilt and Kareem to the positionless, high-scoring era of Shai and Jokić.
To dig deeper into how these players stack up, you should compare their Finals shooting percentages against their regular-season averages; it often reveals who truly "rose to the occasion" and who just got lucky with a hot hand. Tracking the voting margins is also telling, as unanimous winners like Nikola Jokić or Giannis Antetokounmpo show a level of dominance that split-vote winners like Jaylen Brown didn't quite have to exert over their own teammates.