How Many Times Has Regular Season MVP Won NBA Finals MVP?

Akash Vaishnav

Last updated: June 23, 2025

2 min read

The feat NBA legends rarely conquer

Image Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The 2025 NBA Finals wrapped up with one of the most thrilling series’ in recent memory. The OKC Thunder and the Indiana Pacers went till game seven and it took some MVP level performances from players of both sides to push the limits.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was awarded the MVP Finals award. He swept the season’s top honors, headlined by the regular season MVP. He has had quite a season with top performances leading his side all the way to the NBA Title.

In the regular season, SGA posted 32.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game while shooting an efficient 51.9% from the field. He maintained this level even in the 2025 NBA Finals scoring an average of 30.3 points, 5.6 assists with a field goal percentage of 44.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with the best season in NBA history! 🏆🏆🏆

– NBA Most Valuable Player
– NBA Finals MVP
– Western Conference Finals MVP
– NBA All-Star
– All-NBA First Team
– NBA Scoring Champion
– Debut signature sneaker pic.twitter.com/ZxZoryIZoL
— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) June 23, 2025

How Frequently Has the Regular Season MVP Gone On to Win NBA Finals MVP in the Same Year?

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander unlocked a unique achievement winning both the regular season MVP award and then the NBA Finals MVP. This has happened only 10 times in the past showing how hard it is to replicate the consistent performances at the pinnacle.

MVP Regular Season and Finals MVP Winners of the same season:

Winner	Season	Team
Willis Reed	1969-70	New York Knicks
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	1970-71	Milwaukee Bucks
Moses Malone	1982-83	Philadelphia 76ers
Larry Bird	1983-84 and 1985-86	Boston Celtics
Magic Johnson	1986-87	Los Angeles Lakers
Michael Jordan	1990-91, 1991-92, 1995-96, and 1997-98	Chicago Bulls
Hakeem Olajuwon	1993-94	Houston Rockets
Shaquille	1999-2000	Los Angeles Lakers
Tim Duncan	2002-03	San Antonio Spurs
LeBron James	2011-12, and 2012-13	Miami Heat

Willis Reed was the first in the NBA to achieve such a feat with the New York Knicks in season 1969-70. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also did it in the next season with the Milwaukee Bucks. The list is filled with NB legends like Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, and LeBron James.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also became the first player to win both the regular season MVP award and NBA Final MVP in more than a decade. Before SGA, the last player to claim both awards in a single season was LeBron James during his dominant 2012–13 run with the Miami Heat. This shows the rarity of achieving such a milestone.

MVP

NBA Finals

NBA Finals 2025

NBA Finals MVP

OKC Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Akash Vaishnav

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wnba

I cover NBA at the Playoffs. I specialize in covering breaking news, Previews, in in-depth analysis (breaking down numbers, complex stats, nuances of the game, and converting them into reader-friendly content). Furthermore, I got into the sports media while looking for an entry into the media industry. I love International Relations, and since entry without majoring in the subject was difficult, I got into sports. Now, while majoring in International Relations on one side, I also like covering sports as part of the journey as a young Journalist.