NBA Finals MVP Award Winners

From Hoopedia

The National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals Most Valuable Player Award is presented to the player who has exhibited exceptional play during an NBA Finals series. The award typically goes to a player on the winning team, though when it was first awarded to Jerry West in 1969, his Los Angeles Lakers team lost to the Boston Celtics. It is the only year that the award went to a player whose team did not win the championship.

Magic Johnson is the youngest player and only rookie to be named the Finals MVP at the age of 20 years in the 1980 NBA Finals.

The award was originally a black trophy with a gold basketball-shaped sphere at the top, similar to the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, until a smaller trophy was introduced in 2005 and presented to the Finals MVP, Tim Duncan.

Tony Parker, winner of the 2007 trophy, is the first European-born player to be named Finals MVP.

On February 14, 2009, during the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced that the award would be re-named the "Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award" in honor of 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell.

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, 2006 NBA Finals MVP

Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers, holding his second (of three) NBA Finals MVP Trophies, 2001

Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons, receiving NBA Finals MVP Trophy from David Stern, 1989

Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs, with fiance Eva Longoria, after winning 2007 NBA Finals and being named series MVP.

Year	Player	Team	Performance
2009	Kobe Bryant	Los Angeles Lakers
2008	Paul Pierce	Boston Celtics	Led the Celtics in scoring with a 21.8 PPG average, averaged 6.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, despite injuring his knee in Game 1.
2007	Tony Parker	San Antonio Spurs	Led all scorers with an average 24.5 points on 57.1% shooting from the field to lead the Spurs to a 4-0 sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers. First European-born player to win.
2006	Dwyane Wade	Miami Heat	Averaged 34.7 points, 3.8 assists and 7.8 rebounds. Down 0-2, Wade finished with 42 points (tying his career playoff high) and 13 rebounds (career high) in Game 3.
2005	Tim Duncan	San Antonio Spurs	Averaged 20 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Spurs to a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Duncan poured in 25 points and 11 boards in the decisive Game 7, locking up his third Finals MVP award.
2004	Chauncey Billups	Detroit Pistons	Averaged 21 points and 5.2 assists to lead the Pistons to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Billups shot 51% from the field and 93% from the foul line for the series.
2003	Tim Duncan	San Antonio Spurs	Averaged 24.2 points, 17.0 rebounds and 5.3 blocks to lead the Spurs to 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Nets. Duncan scored 21 points and added 20 rebounds, 10 assists and eight blocks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals at the SBC Center to eliminate the Nets.
2002	Shaquille O'Neal	Los Angeles Lakers	Averaged 36.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.75 blocks to lead the Lakers to a sweep of the New Jersey Nets and the franchise’s third consecutive NBA Championship. O’Neal’s best Finals performances came at the STAPLES Center with 36 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks in Game #1, 40 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in Game #2, 35 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in Game #3.
2001	Shaquille O'Neal	Los Angeles Lakers	Averaged 33.0 points, 15.6 rebounds and 3.40 blocks to lead the Lakers to a 4-1victory over the Philadelphia 76ers and the franchise’s second consecutive NBA Championship. O’Neal’s best Finals performances came at the Staples Center with 44 points, 20 rebounds and five assists in Game #1, 28 points, 20 rebounds and nine assists in Game #2 and 34 points, 14 rebounds in Game #4.
2000	Shaquille O'Neal	Los Angeles Lakers	Averaged 38.0 points, 16.7 rebounds and 2.67 blocks to lead the Lakers to a 4-2 victory over the Indiana Pacers and the franchise’s first NBA Championship since 1988. O’Neal’s best Finals performances came at the STAPLES Center with 43 points, 19 rebounds in Game #1, 40 points, 24 rebounds in Game #2 and 41 points, 12 rebounds in Game #6.
1999	Tim Duncan	San Antonio Spurs	Averaged 27.4 points, 14.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.2 blocks to lead the Spurs to a 4-1 victory over the New York Knicks. Duncan scored 31 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the fifth game of the NBA Finals on the road in Madison Square Garden to eliminate the Knicks.
1998	Michael Jordan	Chicago Bulls	Averaged 33.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists to lead the Bulls to a 4-2 victory over the Utah Jazz for his sixth NBA Finals MVP. Jordan sank the game-winning jump shot in Game #6 to propel the Bulls to victory on the road at the Delta Center.
1997	Michael Jordan	Chicago Bulls	Averaged 32.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists to lead the Bulls to a 4-2 victory over the Utah Jazz for an unprecedented fifth NBA Finals MVP. Jordan’s heroics included a game-winning shot at the buzzer in Game #1, a near triple-double in Game #2 (38 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists) and a flu-ridden 38 point-performance in Game #5.
1996	Michael Jordan	Chicago Bulls	Averaged 27.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.67 steals to lead the Bulls to a 4-2 defeat of the Seattle SuperSonics. Named Finals MVP for record fourth time. Scored 36 points in Game #3 win on road.
1995	Hakeem Olajuwon	Houston Rockets	Averaged 32.8 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 2.0 steals per game to lead the Rockets to a sweep of the Orlando Magic. Established three NBA Finals four-game series records including most points (131), most field goals made (56) and most field goals attempted (116).
1994	Hakeem Olajuwon	Houston Rockets	Unanimous choice after averaging 26.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game in Rockets’ 4-3 defeat of New York. First center to win the award since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1985 and the first foreign-born player.
1993	Michael Jordan	Chicago Bulls	Averaged NBA Finals record of 41.0 points per game, while collecting 8.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists, in leading the Bulls to their third straight NBA title -- the first team in 27 years to win three consecutive titles.
1992	Michael Jordan	Chicago Bulls	Averaged 35.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game as the Bulls defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 4-2, to win their second consecutive NBA title.
1991	Michael Jordan	Chicago Bulls	Leading scorer in the NBA Finals with 31.3 points per game as the Bulls defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, 4-1, to win the franchise’s first NBA title.
1990	Isiah Thomas	Detroit Pistons	Led all players in the NBA Finals with 27.6 points and 7.0 assists per game as the Pistons defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 4-1, to win their second consecutive NBA title.
1989	Joe Dumars	Detroit Pistons	Led the Pistons in scoring with a 27.3 average as Detroit swept the Los Angeles Lakers, 4-0, to win their first NBA Finals.
1988	James Worthy	Los Angeles Lakers	In seven games, averaged 22.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists as the Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons, 4-3, to win their sixth NBA title.
1987	Magic Johnson	Los Angeles Lakers	Averaged 21.8 points, 12.1 assists and 7.7 rebounds per game in the Lakers’ 4-2 victory over the Boston Celtics. Johnson made playoff MVP history by becoming the first three-time winner of this award.
1986	Larry Bird	Boston Celtics	Averaged 24.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game in the Celtics 4-2 victory over the Houston Rockets.
1985	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Los Angeles Lakers	Averaged 25.7 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game while shooting over 60% from the field in the Lakers’ 4-2 victory over the Boston Celtics.
1984	Larry Bird	Boston Celtics	Averaged 27.4 points, 14 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals while shooting .842 from the free throw line in the Celtics’ 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
1983	Moses Malone	Philadelphia 76ers	Averaged 25.8 points, 18 rebounds and 4.25 blocked shots per game in the 76ers’ sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers.
1982	Magic Johnson	Los Angeles Lakers	Averaged 21.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 2.7 steals per game in the Lakers’ 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
1981	Cedric Maxwell	Boston Celtics	Averaged 17.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game in the Celtics’ 4-2 victory over the Houston Rockets.
1980	Magic Johnson	Los Angeles Lakers	Averaged 21.5 points, 11.1 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 2.7 steals per game in the Lakers’ 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
1979	Dennis Johnson	Seattle SuperSonics	Averaged 9.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.9 steals per game in the Sonics’ 4-1 victory over the Washington Bullets.
1978	Wes Unseld	Washington Bullets	Averaged 9.0 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in the Bullets’ 4-3 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics.
1977	Bill Walton	Portland Trail Blazers	Averaged 18.5 points, 19 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 3.6 blocks per game in the Trail Blazers’ 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
1976	Jo Jo White	Boston Celtics	Averaged 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting .878 from the foul line in the Celtics’ 4-2 victory over the Phoenix Suns.
1975	Rick Barry	Golden State Warriors	Averaged 29.5 points, four rebounds, five assists and 3.5 steals while shooting .938 from the free throw line in the Warriors’ 4-0 sweep over the Washington Bullets.
1974	John Havlicek	Boston Celtics	Averaged 26.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.9 steals in the Celtics’ 4-3 victory over the New York Knicks.
1973	Willis Reed	New York Knicks	Averaged 16.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the Knicks’ 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
1972	Wilt Chamberlain	Los Angeles Lakers	Averaged 19.4 points, 23.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the Lakers’ 4-1 victory over the New York Knicks.
1971	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Milwaukee Bucks	Averaged 27 points and 18.5 rebounds in the Bucks 4-0 sweep of the Baltimore Bullets.
1970	Willis Reed	New York Knicks	Averaged 23 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in the Knicks’ 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Reed left Game #5 at the end of the first quarter with a strained hip muscle, missed the rest of that game and all of Game #6, but returned for the series’ final game.
1969	Jerry West	Los Angeles Lakers	Averaged 30.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.5 assists in 18 playoff games as the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics, 4-3. West is the only NBA Finals MVP selected from a losing team.