With the 2024 NBA Finals set to begin with the Boston Celtics facing the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 at TD Garden, anticipation is high for what promises to be an electrifying series.
The Celtics, who topped the Eastern Conference with 64 wins, are making their second Finals appearance in three years, aiming for their first championship since 2008. A victory would secure their record-breaking 18th title, surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers.
On the other side, the Mavericks, who secured the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a 50-32 record, are back in the Finals for the first time since their remarkable 2011 triumph over the Miami Heat.
Both teams are poised for a thrilling showdown, with superstars Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic leading the charge for their respective franchises.
At the conclusion of this epic battle, one outstanding performer will be honoured with the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award. This prestigious accolade, established in 1969, has been awarded to the most exceptional player in the Finals, as determined by a panel of eleven media members.
The award has seen 34 players receive the honour over 55 seasons, with legends like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson etching their names in history on multiple occasions.
Legendary Laker Jerry West, the first-ever recipient of the Finals MVP award in 1969, remains the only player to have won the award despite being on the losing team. His remarkable performance for the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game series against the Boston Celtics set a unique precedent in NBA history.
As we await the crowning of the next Finals MVP, let's take a journey through history and revisit every player who has earned this illustrious award, reflecting on the incredible performances that have defined NBA Finals greatness.
NBA Finals MVP winners:
2023-24: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
2022-23: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
2021-22: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
2020-21: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
2019-20: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
2018-19: Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors
2017-18: Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
2016-17: Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
2015-16: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
2014-15: Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors
2013-14: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
2012-13: LeBron James, Miami Heat
2011-12: LeBron James, Miami Heat
2010-11: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
2009-10: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2008-09: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2007-08: Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
2006-07: Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
2005-06: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
2004-05: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
2003-04: Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons
2002-03: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
2001-02: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
2000-01: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
1999-00: Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
1998-99: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
1997-98: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
1996-97: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
1995-96: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
1994-95: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
1993-94: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
1992-93: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
1991-92: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
1990-91: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
1989-90: Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons
1988-89: Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons
1987-88: James Worthy, Los Angeles Lakers
1986-87: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1985-86: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
1984-85: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers
1983-84: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
1982-83: Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers
1981-82: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1980-81: Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics
1979-80: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1978-79: Dennis Johnson, Seattle SuperSonics
1977-78: Wes Unseld, Washington Bullets
1976-77: Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers
1975-76: Jo Jo White, Boston Celtics
1974-75: Rick Barry, Golden State Warriors
1973-74: John Havlicek, Boston Celtics
1972-73: Willis Reed, New York Knicks
1971-72: Wilt Chamberlain, Los Angeles Lakers
1970-71: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks
1969-70: Willis Reed, New York Knicks
1968-69: Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers