1992 NBA Award Winners: Michael Jordan Won His Third MVP Award, David Robinson Was The Best Defender In The League

2nd Place: Clyde Drexler, 3rd Place: David Robinson

Michael Jordan was on top of the world in 1992 and the MVP award that season is another example of it. Jordan took home the award with 900 MVP points over 2nd place Clyde Drexler’s 561 points. MJ was on a different planet from the rest of the league physically, starting 80 games that season and playing 38.8 MPG. Coming off of his first championship, Jordan wasn’t done. He was going to do everything in his power to defend that title from the rest of the league, and he did.

Jordan took home his 6th consecutive scoring title with 30.1 PPG. He shot 51.9% from the field and added in 6.4 RPG and 6.1 APG. His greatness wasn’t limited to the offensive side of the ball, either. Jordan added 2.3 SPG and 0.9 BPG, which are incredible defensive numbers from a player at the shooting guard position. The MVP was the 3rd of his career and 2nd consecutive win as he took home the award in 1991 as well. How did he cap off such a historic season? It ended with back-to-back NBA championships and Finals MVP awards, but we will get into that a little later.

Defensive Player Of The Year - David Robinson

2nd Place: Dennis Rodman, 3rd Place: (Tie) Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen

David Robinson was on a warpath on defense in the 1991-92 season. His 4.5 BPG led the league and earned him a 3rd place finish in MVP voting. He boasted a defensive rating of 94.4 and was an absolute nightmare for opposing centers and guards penetrating the lane. Robinson rarely made errors on the defensive side of the ball, so when he did, they were scrutinized to no end. There weren’t many, if any mistakes to be made in 1991-92.

Robinson’s size, speed, and length were his greatest assets on defense. He used to overplay the middle of the paint, giving him an advantage against righties who use moves to their left shoulder. He had one of the best block rates in league history at 7.4% and 4.5 BPG. His defensive rebounding always came up clutch too. In 1991-92, Robinson grabbed 8.4 defensive rebounds per game out of his total 12.2 RPG. Along with his 4.5 BPG, “The Admiral” also averaged 2.3 SPG, which was the same as MVP Michael Jordan and 5th in the NBA. If anyone deserved the Defensive Player of the Year outright in 1991-92, it was David Robinson. 

Rookie Of The Year - Larry Johnson

2nd Place: Dikembe Mutombo, 3rd Place: Billy Owens

The 1991 NBA Draft class certainly had its fair share of talent. There was Dikembe Mutombo, Kenny Anderson, Stacey Augmon, Steve Smith, and Luc Longley among others. Then there was the 6’8 power forward out of UNLV, Larry Johnson who was taken 1st overall by the Charlotte Hornets. Johnson had made a name for himself at UNLV with his incredible athleticism and powerful finishes. He led UNLV to 2 Final Four appearances and the National Championship in 1990. The 1992 Rookie Of The Year came down to what voters valued more, Mutombo’s defense or Johnson’s highlight reel offense. They chose the latter.

Johnson put up great numbers in his rookie year with 19.2 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 1.0 SPG. He shot 49.0% from the field overall and has a true shooting percentage of 54.8%. Unfortunately, the Hornets were still well behind the league as a team, finishing the season with a 31-51 record. Despite the poor record, Johnson made the Hornets entertaining to watch with his high intensity and propensity to put opponents on posters. One thing was certain from his rookie year when LJ is coming down the lane, your best bet is to get out of the way. By his second season in 1992-93, Johnson was an All-Star starter and All-NBA Team selection.

Sixth Man Of The Year - Detlef Schrempf

2nd Place: Sarunas Marciulionis, 3rd Place: Dan Majerle

In the 1991-92 season, Detlef Schrempf took home the second of back-to-back Sixth Man Of The Year awards. Schrempf could do a little bit of everything on the court. He was an excellent shooter, Shooting 42.0% from 3-10 feet for his career and 45.5% from 16 feet to three-point range for his career. He was also a more lethal three-point shooter later in his career with a 38.4% career percentage. Aside from his shooting, he could score equally as well off of the dribble with a sneaky ability to get by defenders and get to the basket. He was also a well-balanced passer and excellent rebounder to boot.

With the Indiana Pacers in 1991-92, Schrempf appeared in 80 games on the season with just 4 starts. He averaged 17.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 3.9 APG on 53.6% shooting. The Pacers won just 40 games on the season however and the Pacers knew a change was needed. The next season, Indiana made Schrempf a starter and he responded by being selected as an All-Star for the first time in his career. The 1992-93 season would be his last with the Pacers before joining the Seattle SuperSonics.

Most Improved Player - Pervis Ellison

2nd Place: Drazen Petrovic, 3rd Place: Kevin Willis

In the 1991-92 season, Pervis Ellison took home the Most Improved Player award with 40 out of a possible 96 points. Ellison was a 3rd-year player in his 2nd season with the Washington Bullets. The previous two seasons had been years of growing pains and maturity for the 6’9 center out of Louisville. In his rookie year with the Kings, Ellison appeared in just 36 games for them, averaging 8.0 PPG and 5.8 RPG. He was then traded to the Washington Bullets that offseason. In his 2nd season in the NBA, Ellison appeared in 76 games and averaged 10.4 PPG and 7.7 RPG.

Ellison would not only improve vastly but also have the best season of his career in 1991-92. He appeared in 66 games averaging 20.0 PPG, 11.2 RPG, and 2.7 BPG. Ellison started in 64 of these games and shot 53.9% from the field overall. The following season, Ellison had another solid season with 17.4 PPG and 8.8 RPG in 49 games played. Following those seasons, Ellison struggled to stay healthy enough to have a consistent impact on any team he was a part of. He would miss the entirety of the 1998-99 season with an ankle injury and be out of the league by the end of the 2000-01 season.

Coach Of The Year - Don Nelson

Don Nelson was already a basketball legend both as a player and coach. He enjoyed a 14-year NBA career with the Chicago Zephyrs, Los Angeles Lakers, and 11 seasons with the Boston Celtics. At his playing peak, he was a 15.4 PPG and 7.3 RPG player with Boston and retired from the game as a player after the 1976 season. One year later, he was an assistant and then Head Coach with the Milwaukee Bucks. Nelson stayed with the Bucks for 11 seasons where he amassed a 540-344 record and won Coach Of The Year honors in both 1983 and 1985.

Nelson moved on to coach the Warriors for the 1988-89 season and finished with a 43-39 record that season. After a couple of years of trying to manage the egos of the “Run TMC” era, the trio was finally broken up before the 1991-92 season and Nelson got back to the drawing board. In 1991-92, Don Nelson coached the Warriors to 55 wins, tied for the 2nd best record in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, the Warriors would be defeated in 4games in the first round of the playoffs by the Seattle SuperSonics. Nelson would remain coach of the Warriors until the end of the 1994-95 season and returned once again for 4 seasons from 2007 through 2010. Nelson finished with a career coaching record of 1,335-1,063.

NBA Champions - Chicago Bulls

Runner-Up: Portland Trail Blazers

The 1991-92 Chicago Bulls were a special group much like most of the Bulls teams in the 90s. John Paxon ran the point guard position but was a filler until Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen got their hands on the ball. Horace Grant was a 14.2 PPG and 10.0 RPG force in the paint. Bill Cartwright was still manning the paint as well granted he was towards the end of his career. The Bulls ran on phenomenal team chemistry and of course the greatness of Michael Jordan. They finished with a 67-15 record on the season and the No.1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

The first round of the playoffs was a breeze for the Bulls as they swept the Miami Heat behind 45.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 6.7 APG, and 3.0 SPG from Michael Jordan. The second round was much more of a challenge from the New York Knicks as the series went to seven games and the Bulls emerged victorious. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Bulls matched up with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They took care of business in 6 games behind another stellar series from Jordan and Pippen. Finally, in the Finals, they were set to take on Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers. NBA media pundits were comparing Drexler to Jordan at the time and that didn’t sit right with Mike. They said Jordan couldn’t shoot and he responded by breaking the NBA Finals record for three-pointers in a half. They handled the Blazers in 6 games for their 2nd straight NBA Championship.

Finals MVP - Michael Jordan

The 1992 NBA Finals was yet another historic series from the greatest player of all time. In Game 1, Jordan shot 16 of 27 from the field for 39 points and dished out 11 assists in a 122-89 blowout. Game 2 went to Portland as Jordan again dropped 39 points but they couldn’t overcome the 50 combined points from Terry Porter and Drexler. Game 3 was another Bulls victory as Jordan went 11-22 from the field for 26 points in a 94-84 win.

The Bulls would drop Game 4 93-88 despite a 32-point effort from MJ. The next two games were all the Chicago Bulls to close out the series. In Game 5, Jordan would shoot 14-23 from the field for 46 points as he also added 5 rebounds and 4 assists. To close out the series, Jordan went for 33 points and his 2nd straight title and Finals MVP award. Jordan finished the series with averages of 35.8 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 6.5 APG, and 1.7 SPG. This is just the 2nd Finals MVP award of Jordan’s 6 that he won in his career. If you thought this was impressive, the next 4 were just as special. 

1991-92 Season - All-Star Game MVP, All-NBA Teams, All-Rookie Teams, All-Defensive Teams

All-Star Game MVP - Magic Johnson

All-NBA First Team - Michael Jordan, Clyde Drexler, Chris Mullin, Karl Malone, David Robinson

All-NBA Second Team: John Stockton, Tim Hardaway, Scottie Pippen, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing

All-NBA Third Team: Mark Price, Kevin Johnson, Dennis Rodman, Kevin Willis, Brad Daugherty

All-Rookie First Team: Stacey Augmon, Billy Owens, Steve Smith, Larry Johnson, Dikembe Mutombo

All-Rookie Second Team: Stanley Roberts, Rick Fox, Larry Stewart, Terrell Brandon, Mark Macon

All-Defensive First Team: Joe Dumars, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, David Robinson

All-Defensive Second Team: John Stockton, Buck Williams, Larry Nance, Micheal Williams, Patrick Ewing

Next

1990 NBA Award Winners: Magic Johnson Won His Last MVP Award, David Robinson Was Rookie Of The Year

1991 NBA Award Winners: Michael Jordan Won His Second MVP Award, Bad Boy Pistons' Dennis Rodman Was The Defensive Player Of The Year

1998 NBA Award Winners: Michael Jordan Won His Last MVP Award, Larry Bird Was Coach Of The Year

2000 NBA Award Winners: Shaquille O'Neal Won The NBA Championship, Finals MVP, MVP Award, All-Star MVP Award And Scoring Title

2004 NBA Award Winners: Kevin Garnett Was The Best Player In The League, LeBron James Started His Unbelievable Journey