Top 10 NBA players to win MVP and Finals MVP in the same season ft. LeBron James

Good players get the job done in the regular season, but great players take things up a notch when it matters the most. Some players have been so utterly dominant that they’ve managed to keep momentum going from the regular season into the playoffs and all the way into the NBA Finals.

They’ve capped off MVP seasons by leading their teams to a championship and also being named Finals MVP.

And while we’ve seen multiple players, such as Steph Curry and Nikola Jokic, win MVP and Finals MVP at some point in their careers, just a handful of players have been able to do so in the same season.

Here, we're going to talk about them.

The only players to win NBA MVP and Finals MVP in the same season

10. Willis Reed (1969-70)

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New York Knicks legend Willis Reed was the first player to win both awards in the same season. He averaged 21.7 points, 13.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game to win MVP honors at age 27.

Then, he led the 60-win Knicks to the NBA Finals against the LA Lakers, beating them in a seven-game thriller. Reed dominated with 23.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game at that stage.

9. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71)

Then known as Lew Alcindor, the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar only needed two seasons in the NBA to win his first MVP and his first championship. He led the Milwaukee Bucks with a league-leading 31.7 points to go along with 16.0 rebounds per game.

The 23-year-old helped the Bucks reach the NBA Finals against the Baltimore Bullets, averaging 27.0 points and 18.5 rebounds per game to run away with the Finals MVP honors in a four-game sweep.

8. Moses Malone (1982-83)

Perhaps one of the most underrated players of all time, Moses Malone was a defensive and rebounding force to be reckoned with. He won three MVPs, including one in 1983 when he averaged 24.5 points, a league-best 15.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game.

Led by his physicality and defensive prowess, the Philadelphia 76ers swept the LA Lakers in the NBA Finals, with Malone averaging 25.8 points, 18.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.

7. Magic Johnson (1986-87)

Magic Johnson won Finals MVP as a rookie, but he may have been at his best during the 1986-87 season, when he averaged a career-best 23.9 points to go along with 12.2 assists per game.

The Lakers won 65 games before taking down the Nuggets, Warriors and Supersonics with just one loss. Then, Johnson averaged 26.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, 13.0 assists and 2.3 steals per game to lead his team past the Boston Celtics in just six games.

6. Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94)

Hakeem Olajuwon was so dominant that Houston Rockets fans never complained about the fact that their team took him over Michael Jordan. Notably, he may have had the greatest single season in NBA history.

In 1993-94, he averaged 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 3.7 blocks per game to win both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Then, he led the Rockets to a seven-game win over the Knicks in the NBA Finals with averages of 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 3.7 blocks per game on 52% shooting from the floor.

5. Larry Bird (1983-84, 1985-86)

Larry Bird won four championships and was the consensus greatest small forward of all time before LeBron James came along. He was utterly dominant in 1984 and 1986 when he led the Celtics to two championships.

Bird averaged 26.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 50/39/88 shooting splits en route to three consecutive MVPs from 1984-86. He led the Celtics to a ring against the Rockets in 1984, and then again in 1986 after losing to the Lakers in 1985.

4. Shaquille O'Neal (1999-00)

Shaquille O'Neal might have a case for being the most physically dominant force in NBA history. On four NBA championship teams, he won one MVP.

That was in 1999-00 when he averaged a career-best 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. He led the Lakers to 67 wins and a Finals berth against the Indiana Pacers, against whom he averaged 38.0 points and 16.7 rebounds to beat them in six games.

3. Tim Duncan (2002-03)

While his name is rarely brought up in the GOAT conversation, Tim Duncan has the résumé to make a compelling argument. He was at his peak in 2002-03, when he averaged 23.3 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game to win his second consecutive MVP.

The San Antonio Spurs reached the NBA Finals to beat the Nets in six games behind Duncan's averages of 24.2 points, 17.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and a whopping 5.3 blocks per game.

2. LeBron James (2011-12 and 2012-13)

LeBron James has had three separate Hall of Fame careers. However, he may have been at his best with the Miami Heat, as he was in his physical prime and was the undisputed best player. He averaged 26.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game in a two-year stretch with back-to-back MVPs.

James finally won his first championship in 2012 by taking down the young OKC Thunder and winning Finals MVP. Then, with Ray Allen's 3-pointer, he helped orchestrate an epic comeback to take down the Spurs in seven games, also bringing home the award.

1. Michael Jordan (1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, 1997-98)

Michael Jordan is, to this day, still arguably the greatest player in NBA history, and it's easy to make a case for him deserving to win MVP in every single season he played with the Chicago Bulls.

That wasn't the case, but he did win MVP and Finals MVP in four out of the six times he won a championship. He won the MVP as well in 1987-88, but it wasn't until 1991 that he finally won his first ring.

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About the author

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto Cova is a journalist at Sportskeeda with a PhD in Sports Psychology. His education helped him develop a clearer understanding of the sports world as a whole, including basketball. Ernesto has over eight years of experience in the field, working for Fadeaway World, The Inquisitr, NBA Blast, The Cold Wire and Bolavip, among others.

His favorite team is the Chicago Bulls because of the Michael Jordan era. Jordan is Ernesto's all-time favorite, as he changed the game forever. Ernesto's second favorite was Kobe Bryant because he embodied that same competitive fire and Ernesto watched him play throughout his entire career. Nowadays, Ernesto really likes Stephen Curry, who he believes to be the most influential player of the past 15 years or so.

Ernesto's favorite basketball moment was when Venezuela -- his country -- took down Canada to take home the 2015 FIBA Americas Cup.

When not watching or writing about basketball, Ernesto likes to read and is interested in photography.

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