With Nikola Jokic winning the NBA’s MVP award, the back-to-back MVP club now has 13 members Let’s examine the past winners:
History of Back-To-Back NBA MVPs
Bill Russell
Boston Celtics
- Bill Russell was the first player to win the MVP back-to-back, which was part of his journey to becoming the league’s first player to win the award three straight times (1960-61 season through the 1962-63 campaign). The Celtic legend has five total regular-season MVPs in his career and with his first coming during 1957-58 season.
Wilt Chamberlain
Philadelphia 76ers
- Wilt Chamberlain became the second player to win back-to-back MVPs during his three-peat from 1965-1968. He is one of just three players to win three straight in NBA history.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Milwaukee Bucks/Los Angeles Lakers
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won back-to-back MVPs on two occasions. He did it with the Bucks (1970-71, 1971-72) and then with the Lakers (1975-76, 1976-77). The center was named MVP a record-setting six times during his NBA career.
Moses Malone
Houston Rockets/Philadelphia 76ers
- Moses Malone is the only player to win back-to-back MVP awards while switching teams. He took home the award during the 1981-82 season with the Rockets. After the campaign, he signed with Philadelphia and won the award during the 1982-83 season, his debut campaign with the Sixers.
Larry Bird
Boston Celtics
- Larry Bird took home the award three-straight times from 1983-1986, becoming the third and final member of the back-to-back-to-back MVP club (Russell, Wilt).
Magic Johnson
Los Angeles Lakers
- Magic Johnson claimed the MVP award three times in his career with his back-to-back performances coming during the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons. He also won the award during the 1986-87 campaign.
Michael Jordan
Chicago Bulls
- The GOAT won his first MVP award during the 1987-88 season. Jordan captured back-to-back MVPs during the 1990-91 and 1991-92 campaigns. He would later win the 1995-96 and 1997-98 awards as well.
[Related: 48 Facts From Michael Jordan’s Wizards Tenure]
Tim Duncan
San Antonio Spurs
- Tim Duncan won the MVP award twice in his career. He took home the honors during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.
Steve Nash
Phoenix Suns
- Steve Nash led the Suns’ high-power offense for several seasons with his peak coming during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 campaigns where the point guard took home back-to-back MVP honors.
LeBron James
Cleveland Cavaliers/Miami Heat
- LeBron James joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only player to win back-to-back MVP awards with two separate teams. He took home honors in Cleveland in 2009 and 2010. He would then win Miami in 2011 and 2013. Many believe he should have won the award in the 2010-11 season (Derrick Rose), which would have given him a record five-straight MVPs, though there are theories that some voters of the award held LBJ’s Miami move against him.
Stephen Curry
Golden State Warriors
- As the league’s only unanimous MVP, Steph Curry took home the award during the 2015-16 campaign. He had also won the honor during the previous season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks
- The Bucks star took home the honors in 2019, edging out James Harden for the award. He would win the award over LeBron James in 2020 during the bubble-adjusted season.
Nikola Jokic
Denver Nuggets
- Jokic won the MVP over Joel Embiid during the 2020-21 season and would again take home the honors during the 2021-22 season.
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