Winning the Maurice Podoloff Trophy isn't just about being the "best" player. If it were, LeBron James wouldn't have stalled out at four. Michael Jordan would have enough hardware to fill a small U-Haul. Honestly, looking at the NBA MVP by year history is like looking at a diary of how basketball fans—and the media—change their minds about what actually matters.
In 2025, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed the crown. He didn't just win; he dominated the narrative by leading a young Oklahoma City Thunder squad to a staggering 68-win season. He averaged 32.7 points per game. He was efficient. He was cool. But mostly, he was new.
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That's the secret sauce. Narrative.
The Era of the International Takeover
The last seven years have been a wild ride for American-born players. Basically, they haven't won. Since James Harden took it home in 2018, the MVP has been an international affair.
- 2025: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada)
- 2024: Nikola Jokic (Serbia)
- 2023: Joel Embiid (Cameroon)
- 2022: Nikola Jokic (Serbia)
- 2021: Nikola Jokic (Serbia)
- 2020: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece)
- 2019: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece)
SGA's win in 2025 was particularly tight. He beat out Nikola Jokic by a mere 126 points in the total voting tally. Jokic had arguably his best statistical season ever—shooting over 40% from deep as a center—but the voters were clearly leaning toward the "best player on the best team" philosophy. Plus, let's be real: voter fatigue is a monster. Asking a media panel to give one guy four MVPs in five years is a tall order, even if he deserves it.
Why 1973 Still Bothers People
If you want to talk about "robbery," you have to go back to 1973. This is the one that historians still debate over a beer. Dave Cowens won it. He was great, sure. He led the Boston Celtics to 68 wins.
But look at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's stats that year.
Kareem put up 30.2 points and 16.1 rebounds. He led the league in nearly every advanced metric, including Win Shares and Player Efficiency Rating. He was the most dominant force the game had seen. But back then, the players did the voting. They were tired of Kareem. They liked Cowens’ hustle. It’s the ultimate proof that the NBA MVP by year list is as much a popularity contest as it is a statistical deep dive.
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The Michael Jordan and Karl Malone Drama
The 1996-97 season is another classic "what happened?" moment. Michael Jordan was the king. The Bulls won 69 games. Jordan led the league in scoring. Yet, the trophy went to Karl Malone.
Was Malone bad? Of course not. He was a beast. But most people agree today that the voters just wanted to give it to someone else for a change. Jordan apparently took it personally—as he usually did—and then dismantled Malone and the Jazz in the Finals.
Interestingly, the reverse happened the next year. In 1998, Malone actually had a better regular season by many metrics, but the trophy went back to Jordan. It was like a makeup call in a local pickup game.
The Statistical Anomalies
Sometimes the winner comes from a team that didn't even crack the top tier. These are the outliers.
- Russell Westbrook (2017): The first triple-double season since Oscar Robertson. The Thunder were a 6th seed.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1976): The only time an MVP was on a team that missed the playoffs entirely.
- Bob Pettit (1956): The very first winner. He won it while his team, the St. Louis Hawks, had a losing record of 33-39.
The Evolution of the "Value"
In the early days (1956 to 1980), players voted for the winner. This led to some weird results because, frankly, players are biased. They don't like certain guys. They respect "toughness" over "efficiency." In 1981, the league handed the ballot to the media.
Since then, the criteria have shifted toward a mix of "Best Player on a 60-win team" and "Historical Statistical Milestone."
Take 2011. Derrick Rose won it. He was the youngest MVP ever. He was electric. But LeBron James was objectively the better player. However, LeBron had just moved to Miami. He was the villain. The "Value" in MVP that year was "Who makes us feel the best about basketball?" And that was D-Rose.
The Heavy Hitters: Multi-Time Winners
If you want to be in the GOAT conversation, you need multiple trophies. It’s the entry fee.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 6 wins. (The record-holder).
- Bill Russell: 5 wins.
- Michael Jordan: 5 wins.
- Wilt Chamberlain: 4 wins.
- LeBron James: 4 wins.
- Larry Bird: 3 wins (consecutive!).
- Magic Johnson: 3 wins.
- Nikola Jokic: 3 wins.
Bird’s run from '84 to '86 is legendary because he’s the last person to win three in a row. Not even Jordan or LeBron pulled that off. Jokic came close, but Joel Embiid broke the streak in 2023.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that the MVP is the "Best Player in the World." It isn't. If it were, the list would just be five guys repeating for 20 years.
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The MVP is about the regular season. It’s about the 82-game grind. It’s about who defined that specific calendar year. When Stephen Curry won unanimously in 2016, it wasn't just because of his 30 points per game. It was because he changed how every kid in America played the sport. He was the "Most Valuable" to the league's identity.
Looking Toward 2026
As we move into the 2025-26 season, the landscape is shifting again. The old guard—LeBron, Steph, KD—are still hanging around, but they aren't the favorites anymore. The "NBA MVP by year" list is now a battleground for the mid-20s superstars.
Victor Wembanyama is the looming shadow over this whole discussion. His defensive impact is so high that he might break the traditional "scoring-first" mold of the modern MVP. But for now, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the man to beat.
To understand the MVP, you have to look past the box score. You have to look at the stories. Who did the media love? Who did the fans fear? Who was "the guy" from October to April? That's how you truly read the history of the game.
Actionable Insights for Fans
- Watch the Wins: Since 1956, over 60% of MVPs played for the team with the best record. If your favorite player is on a 4th seed, they probably won't win.
- Check the PER: While not perfect, the league leader in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) wins the MVP about half the time.
- Follow the Narrative: Pay attention to the national media early in the season. If a "story" starts to form—like a player returning from injury or a team exceeding expectations—that player has a massive head start.
- The 65-Game Rule: Remember, the new collective bargaining agreement requires players to play at least 65 games. Availability is now a hard requirement, not just a suggestion.