What is the NBA MVP award?
The NBA Most Valuable Player award honours the outstanding player of the regular season. It has been presented since 1955–56; the trophy, long known as the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, was renamed the Michael Jordan Trophy in 2022. Voting is by a panel of about a hundred sportswriters and broadcasters from the United States, Canada and abroad, each ranking five players on a weighted ballot.[1] [2]
How does it differ from Finals MVP?
They are separate awards, decided months apart by different electorates. The regular-season MVP covers an 82-game campaign and is voted by media before the playoffs begin; the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP covers a single championship series and is voted by a media panel at the Finals. It is common for the two to go to different players in the same season.[1] [3]
Who won it most recently?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder won the 2026 award, his second in succession, taking 83 first-place votes after averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists across 68 games while the Thunder posted the league's best record. Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Dončić and Cade Cunningham followed him in the voting.[2] [4]
Why does it matter?
Because the NBA is the strongest basketball league in the world and roughly a third of its players are internationals — so its MVP is in practice a global honour. One player is named per season from a population of about 450 under contract, by an electorate that publishes every ballot.[1] [2]
References
- NBA — Awards. Accessed August 2026.
- NBA — 2025-26 regular season awards. Accessed August 2026.
- NBA — Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP. Accessed August 2026.
- NBA — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's second MVP season by the numbers. Accessed August 2026.