Did the right player win the NBA MVP award during the lottery era?

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes. 

We begin this exercise with a no-brainer. Larry Bird (28.7 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG) was clearly the best player in the NBA during the 1985 regular season — the raw statistics as well as the MVP vote (73 of 78 first-place votes) back that up. He led the Celtics to an NBA-best 63-19 record as well. And while Magic Johnson (18.3 PPG, 12.6 APG, 6.2 RPG, 1.5 SPG) absolutely had an argument for being the best player in the league and ultimately got the last laugh by defeating Bird's Celtics 4-2 in the Finals, the 1984-85 season was possibly the best regular season of Bird's storied career. No revisionist history here.

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes.

Larry Legend left no doubt in his third consecutive VP campaign in 1985-86 as well, once again capturing 73 of a possible 78 first-place MVP votes. Bird's numbers were a little more modest than the '85 MVP season (25.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 6.8 APG, 2.0 SPG), but that was because the Celtics were beating the brakes off most opponents that season, winning an NBA-best 67 games on their way to a championship. Until the 2016-17 Warriors, many considered this to be the greatest basketball team ever assembled, and Bird was its leader and best player. Dominique Wilkins came in a distant second with five first-place votes after leading the league in scoring (30.3 PPG). 

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes, but the voting may have been a little different in 2023.

After watching Bird win three straight MVPs and lead his team to a title in 1985-86, Magic Johnson responded with arguably his finest season in 1986-87 and easily won the MVP by garnering 65 of the 78 first-place votes. Johnson's stats were spectacular (23.9 PPG, 12.2 APG, 6.3 RPG, 1.7 SPG) and he led the Lake Show to an NBA-best 65 wins as well as an NBA championship. And while Magic was definitely the right choice, it may have been a little tighter of a race had people had access to advanced analytics as Michael Jordan put together an astonishing season, averaging a career-high 37.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.6 APG, 2.9 SPG and 1.5 BPG while also leading the league in Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player and Box Plus/Minus. Jordan only received 10 first-place votes, but alas, his Bulls only finished with a 40-42 record, barely making the playoffs. The award belonged to Magic, but Jordan was clearly on the rise.

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes, but Larry Bird (second) and Magic Johnson (third) deserve a shout-out.

1987-88 was a truly magical season for basketball fans. Michael Jordan (35.0 PPG, 5.9 APG, 5.5 RPG, 3.2 SPG and 1.6 BPG) had arguably the best two-way season in NBA history, taking home both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors (the first to ever do that). Despite Jordan's ascent to the top of the league, the NBA still went through Bird (29.9 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 6.1 APG) and Magic (19.6 PPG, 11.9 APG, 6.2 RPG). 1987-88 was Bird's best statistical season and his last truly great season before injuries robbed him of an extended prime. And even though his stats weren't as impressive as the season before, Magic led the Lakers to yet another title. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Not if you believe in advanced analytics. 

On the vote, Magic (22.5 PPG, 12.8 APG, 7.9 RPG) beat Michael Jordan (32.5 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 8.0 APG, 2.9 SPG) in a somewhat narrow race, 664.5 points to 598.8 points. Karl Malone (29.1 PPG, 10.7 RPG), Patrick Ewing (22.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.5 BPG) and Hakeem Olajuwon (24.8 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 3.4 BPG) also received multiple first-place votes, but had the vote been held today with more voter accountability and easier access to watching every team play, those votes would have likely gone to Magic and Jordan. Magic's Lakers had a Western Conference-best 57 wins that season; Jordan's Bulls barely made the playoffs with only 47 wins. However, Jordan absolutely dominated all of the advanced statistics, leading the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, and Box Plus/Minus. This was a precursor to the Giannis Antetokounmpo vs. James Harden MVP debate we had in 2019. And, as I did in that debate, I would side with the individual stats and pick Jordan.

Did the right player win the MVP? Nope - the guy who came in third (Michael Jordan) deserved it. 

This was probably the weirdest MVP voting outcome in NBA history. Magic Johnson (22.5 PPG, 11.5 APG, 6.6 RPG) barely scraped by Charles Barkley (25.2 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 3.9 APG) and Michael Jordan (33.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, 2.8 SPG), with a voting score of 636 as compared to 614 and 564. However, Barkley had the most first-place votes with 38 as compared to Magic's 27 and Jordan's 21. And while Magic's Lakers had the most wins (63) as compared to Jordan's Bulls (55) and Barkley's 76ers (53), it was Jordan, again, who had the advanced statistics edge and led the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player and Box Plus/Minus. Jordan is the revisionist history winner; Magic is second; Barkley is third. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Without question.

1991 was the year of Michael Jordan, as he averaged 31.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.7 SPG and 1.0 BPG in 82 games and won his first championship. If there was any question as to the face of the NBA at that time — Jordan or Magic Johnson — Jordan put that debate to rest in the 1991 Finals, where the Bulls took down Magic's Lakers, 4-1. Jordan's stats indicated he was the best player in the NBA, the advanced stats (which weren't a thing back then) confirm he was the best player, and any person who watched the NBA could see that Jordan was the best player in the world on both ends of the court, but especially on offense. The only other player to receive double-digit first-place votes was Magic (10).

Did the right player win the MVP? Definitely.

Even though Clyde Drexler (25.0 PPG, 6.7 APG, 6.6 RPG) somehow captured 12 first-place votes, this one should have really been unanimous for Michael Jordan (30.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 6.1 APG). This was apex Jordan in one of his finest seasons of his career. He led the Bulls to an NBA-best 67-win regular season and led the league in PPG, Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, and Box Plus/Minus. And in case there was any doubt as to whom the best player in the world was, Jordan left no doubt in the Finals, where his Bulls beat Drexler's Blazers, 4-2, for their second consecutive title.

Did the right player win the MVP? Probably not. 

This was one of those years where MVP voters appeared to get a little bored of handing Michael Jordan (32.6 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.8 SPG) the trophy every season and were looking for any excuse to vote for another contender. And the 1992-93 season gave them two Jordan alternatives: Charles Barkley (25.6 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1.0 BPG) and Hakeem Olajuwon (26.1 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 3.5 APG, 4.2 BPG!! and 1.8 SPG). Barkley won the award with the Best Player on the Best Team narrative as he led the Suns to an NBA-best 62-20 record. However, as he did in the prior two seasons, Jordan made sure everyone knew who the best player in the world was during the NBA Finals, where his Bulls downed Barkley's Suns, 4-2.

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes, but it was closer than you might think. 

Although David Robinson (29.8 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 4.8 APG, 3.3 BPG, 1.7 SPG) had both a better statistical and advanced statistical (league leader in Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus, etc.) season than Hakeem Olajuwon (27.3 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 3.6 APG, 3.7 BPG, 1.6 SPG), Olajuwon led his team to three more wins and was also named Defensive Player of the Year. 1993-94 was the Year of Hakeem — and he left no doubt by leading the Rockets to the NBA championship. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes, because it's a regular season award.

David Robinson didn't have to wait much longer to get his hands on the MVP trophy, taking home the honor in 1994-95 by basically repeating his 1993-94 season, averaging 27.6 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 2.9 APG, 3.2 BPG and 1.7 SPG. This time, he led the Spurs to an NBA-best 62-20 record and once again ld the league in most advanced statistics (Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus, etc.). Both Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone got about a dozen first-place votes, but Robinson won handily with 73 first-place votes. The trophy belonged to Robinson, but the award comes with an asterisk as Hakeem Olajuwon famously outplayed Robinson in a huge, 4-2 upset in the Western Conference Finals, and made it a point to "get his award" from Robinson on his way to a second consecutive NBA championship.

Did the right player win the MVP? YES!!

Not sure this one needs any explanation. Michael Jordan (30.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.2 SPG) was by far the best player in the NBA from every statistical measure and the eye test. He led the Bulls to a then-NBA record 72-10 regular season and led the NBA in Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus and other advanced stats as well. The real question from the 1996 MVP vote is who were the five voters who didn't vote for Jordan that year? What the hell were they watching that year?

Did the right player win the MVP? Hell no.

In his Book of Basketball, Bill Simmons called Karl Malone's MVP over Michael Jordan "a crime scene." And he was right. Don't get me wrong, Karl Malone (27.4 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 4.5 APG) had a GREAT season and led the Jazz to a 64-18 record, but Michael Jordan (29.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 4.3 APG) was better in nearly every statistical and advanced statistical category (Malone narrowly edged him in Player Efficiency Rating, but Jordan led in Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player and Box Plus/Minus) and led the Bulls to the then-second-most wins in NBA history with 69. In other words, Jordan had the statistical argument and the best player on the best team argument over Malone. Sadly, voters got bored voting for Jordan every season and 1996-97 was the most egregious example. And even if there was any lingering debate, Jordan put that to rest with a 4-2 victory over Malone in the Championship, highlighted by Malone missing two free throws and Jordan sinking a buzzer-beating jumper in Game 1.

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes, but the voting was skewed from the previous season. 

Voters made amends for 1997 by correctly awarding Jordan (28.7 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.5 APG) the MVP over Malone (27.0 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 3.9 APG) in 1998. Ironically, if there were ever a season to award Malone over Jordan, it would have been this one because they both led their respective teams to 62 wins and Malone had a slight edge over Jordan in the major advanced analytical categories like Player Efficiency Rating (27.9 to 25.2), Win Shares (16.4 to 15.8), Box Plus/Minus (7.3 to 6.9) and the two were tied in Value Over Replacement Player (7.1). Was Jordan still the superior player? Yes, as seen by him carrying the limping Bulls to another title over Malone's Jazz, 4-2 that spring. However, Malone probably deserved more than the 20 first-place votes he received compared to Jordan, who received 92.

Did the right player win the MVP? Are we sure anyone deserved the MVP in 1999? 

Recall, the 1998-99 season was a lockout-shortened season where it looked as though there wouldn't be a season at all. Then, once the sides negotiated a deal, there was absolute chaos between free agency and the immediate start of the season, and tons of games packed into a condensed schedule. Players were out of shape. The basketball was ugly. Everything favored teams that had good chemistry like Malone's Jazz, who tied Tim Duncan's Spurs with a league-high 37 victories. Malone (23.8 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 4.1 APG) beat out Alonzo Mourning (20.1 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.9 BPG and DPOY) and Duncan (21.7 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 2.5 BPG) by receiving 44 first-place votes to Mourning's 36 and Duncan's 30. Statistically speaking, this was one of Malone's worst seasons — his 13th highest PPG — so, this wasn't an MVP-caliber year from him. This was probably Mourning's best season, but his Heat's first-round upset loss to the eight-seeded Knicks certainly didn't help his case retrospectively. And Duncan's team ultimately won the title and he was the best player in the playoffs, but this wasn't as dominant as Duncan's later MVP seasons. I guess Malone, who led the NBA in Win Shares and Value Over Replacement Player, gets the revisionist history MVP, but did he really deserve it?

Did the right player win the MVP? Absolutely! 

Historically speaking, it's a bit surprising that Shaq only won one MVP award (more on that later). However, his one MVP season in 1999-2000 was one of the more dominant MVP campaigns in NBA history (29.7 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 3.8 APG, 3.0 BPG) as seen by him receiving 120 of a possible 121 first-place MVP votes (to whomever voted for Allen Iverson that season, c'mon man!). Shaq checked off every MVP box during his MVP season — best player by the eye test, best player on the best team (Lakers won 67 games and the NBA championship), and he led basically every advanced statistic known to man (Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus and many more). 

Did the right player win the MVP? Probably, but today's basketball nerds are having a conniption. 

When people remember the 2000-01 season, what do they remember? They remember Allen Iverson (31.1 PPG, 4.6 APG, 2.5 SPG) crossing up and stepping over Ty Lue in the NBA Finals, single-handedly leading the underdog Sixers to a shocking Game 1 upset over the heavily-favored Lakers. They don't remember that Iverson shot only 42 percent from the field or that Shaquille O'Neal (28.7 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 2.8 BPG) led the league in most advanced statistical categories like Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares and Box Plus/Minus. This was clearly one of those seasons where the voters punished Shaq (0 first-place votes!!) because the Lakers played the regular season on cruise control, only winning 56 games (same as Iverson's Sixers) before turning it on in the playoffs. O'Neal, who came in third (Duncan came in second), probably would have won the award had the voting taken place in 2023 because basketball was an inefficient mess on the perimeter in 2001. All that I know is Iverson was the main ticket in 2000-01 and I'm good with rewarding him for that.

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes. 

This is one of the MVP votes that, in real time, was very close (Duncan received 57 first-place votes; Jason Kidd received 45; Shaquille O'Neal received 15), but the further we get away, the sillier that seems. Duncan was awesome in 2002, averaging 25.5 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 3.7 APG and 2.5 BPG while also leading the NBA in Win Shares and Value Over Replacement Player. Kidd was great in his own right and definitely received votes for helping the Nets go from 26 wins in 2000-01 to 52 wins in 2001-02, but his numbers don't stand the test of time as much (14.7 PPG, 9.9 APG, 7.3 RPG, 2.1 SPG), and his advanced numbers, which tend to favor big men, were way behind Duncan's. Shaq had another great season (27.2 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 2.0 BPG), but only played 67 games as compared to Duncan's 82. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes, but Garnett was equally deserving considering the roster he was working with. 

In the 2002-03 season, as with most of their respective primes, Tim Duncan (23.3 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 3.9 APG, 2.9 BPG) and Kevin Garnett (23.0 PPG, 13.4 RPG, 6.0 APG) were like the Spiderman pointing at Spiderman meme — only Duncan was the face of the league's best organization whereas Garnett was the face of one of the league's worst organizations. Duncan (60 first-place votes) beat out Garnett (43 first-place votes) in 2003 because his team was the best team in the NBA, winning 60 games and the NBA title; Garnett led his team to a respectable heroic 51 wins (just look at this roster!!). Duncan and Garnett had similar advanced numbers as well, but interestingly enough, Tracy McGrady's name is the one that pops up at the top of most of the advanced statistics — he averaged 32.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG and 5.5 APG and finished in fourth in the voting behind Kobe Bryant, Garnett and Duncan. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes. 

KG (24.2 PPG, 13.9 APG, 5.0 APG, 2.2 BPG, 1.5 SPG) exacted his revenge in the 2003-04 season and damn near won the MVP unanimously, receiving 120 of 123 total first-place votes. He led the league in all of the major advanced numbers — Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus, etc. — as well. And, he led the T'Wolves to a Western Conference-best 58 wins and strong showing in the playoffs for the first time in his career. This was an absolute no-brainer MVP vote — no other player was even close. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Possibly. 

This one was a real toss-up between Nash (15.5 PPG, 11.5 APG, 50-43-89 shooting splits), the conductor of the top-rated offense and Seven Seconds or Less Suns, or Shaquille O'Neal (22.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.3 BPG), the big man who turned the Heat into a title contender. Nash won the award by a hair with 65 first-place votes compared to O'Neal's 58. Nash helped turn the 29-win Suns into a 62-win juggernaut and made Amar'e Stoudemire into a star; Shaq helped turn the 42-win Heat into a 59-win contender and accelerated Dwyane Wade's superstar trajectory. We'll keep the award with Nash though — basketball was getting really ugly before Nash joined the Suns and made basketball fun again by pushing the pace and ushering in a new brand of hoops. That breaks the tie. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Hell no — are you for real?!? 

Nash cruised to his second consecutive MVP in 2005-06 by averaging 18.8 PPG and 10.5 APG with 51-44-92 shooting splits while leading the Suns to a 54-28 record (third in the West). He appears to have benefitted from a congested field as four other players received double-digit first-place votes — LeBron James (16), Dirk Nowitzki (14), Kobe Bryant (22) and Chauncey Billups (15). In retrospect, all four deserved the award more than Nash that year. James (31.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.6 APG) led the NBA in Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus, tied with Dirk for first in Player Efficiency Rating, and finished second in Win Shares while leading the Cavs to 50 wins. Nash's good friend Nowitzki (26.6 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 48-41-90 shooting splits) led the NBA in Win Shares, tied with LeBron for the best PER, and finished second and third, respectively, in Box Plus/Minus and Value Over Replacement Player. Oh, and he led Dallas to 60 wins. Bryant (35.4!! PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.5 APG) had the most memorable scoring season since Jordan's 1987 campaign and dragged a team who's other top players were Lamar Odom, Smush Parker and Kwame Brown to the playoffs. And finally, Billups (18.5 PPG, 8.6 APG, 42-43-89 shooting splits) was the face of the team with one of the toughest defenses (third in opponent's PPG) and the best record (64-18) in the league.  

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes, but man, the playoffs were a bad look. 

Coming off a Finals collapse (slash screw job from the refs), Nowitzki was easily the 2006-07 MVP. He was ridiculously productive (24.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 3.4 APG), efficient (50-42-90 shooting splits) and was top-two in Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player and Box Plus/Minus. And he led the Mavericks to an all-time great regular season (67-15). The only other player to provide any challenge to his case was Nash (18.6 PPG, 11.6 APG with 53-46-90 shooting splits), who had the Suns humming on all cylinders, finishing with a 61-21 record. Nowitzki undoubtedly earned the award, but his 2006-07 season epithet will always include an epic failure in the first round of the playoffs, in which his heavily-favored Mavericks got absolutely punked against the eight-seeded (42-40) "We Believe" Warriors, 4-2. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes, it was time.

The 2007-08 MVP for Kobe was more of the lifetime achievement variety. He was the league's alpha dog, he averaged 28.3 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 5.4 APG, he led the Lakers to the top-seed in the Western Conference (57-25), and he seemed to have finally embraced Phil Jackson's triangle philosophy and was more of a leader than a one-man assassin like he'd been earlier in his career. It also helped that no other player had a truly dominant season. Chris Paul (21.1 PPG, 11.6 APG, 2.1 SPG and a league-best 17.8 Win Shares) came in second place and led the Hornets to 56 wins. He probably deserved a little more consideration (only 28 first-place votes to Kobe's 82). LeBron James (fourth-place) finished at the top of most of the advanced stats, but he was on cruise control and the Cavs only won 45 games. Kevin Garnett led the Celtics to an NBA-best 66-16 record and won Defensive Player of the Year, but he was penalized a bit because he had two other stars (Paul Pierce and Ray Allen) at his side. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes.

This was an absolute no-doubter for LeBron James (28.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG), who won his first of four MVP awards and became the youngest player to ever take home the honor. He led a crummy Cavs roster (check them out here) to an NBA-best 66 wins, and he dominated all of the advanced stats (best Player Efficiency Rating, Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus and most Win Shares). His MVP was nearly unanimous as he received 109 of 121 possible first-place votes. Dwyane Wade (30.2 PPG, 7.5 APG, 5.0 RPG, 2.2 SPG, 1.3 BPG) was excellent in 2008-09, but the Heat only won 43 games. Kobe Bryant (26.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.9 APG) also deserves a little recognition, but this was clearly LeBron's award.

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes, see 2009.

LeBron's 2009-10 MVP was essentially a repeat of his previous season's campaign. Actually, he was even better. He averaged 29.7 PPG, 8.6 APG, 7.3 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1.0 BPG and again led the NBA in all of the major advanced statistical categories (Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus, etc.). And he once again guided the Cavs to the best record in the league (61-21). James received 116 of 121 first-place votes too and should have been a unanimous MVP (Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard received four and three votes, respectively).

Did the right player win the MVP? Great story, but no way.

Derrick Rose (25.0 PPG, 7.7 APG, 4.0 RPG) should have won Most Improved Player, not Most Valuable Player. The 2010-11 MVP vote was an absolute joke and the byproduct of basically everyone deciding to punish LeBron for his decision to "take his talents to South Beach" and join the Miami Heat. LeBron came in third-place despite averaging 26.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 7.0 APG, leading the league in basically every advanced statistic (Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus, etc.), leading the Heat to 58 wins (Rose's Bulls won 62 games), and being the top player in the league from the eye-test. Had he put up the same numbers in a Cavs' uniform, he'd have cruised to the award. Nine voters were so triggered that they didn't even include him on their MVP ballot (in which you voted for first through fifth)! Dwight Howard (22.9 PPG, 14.1 RPG, 2.4 BPG, Defensive Player of the Year) probably deserved second place over Rose as well. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes. 

Everything started making sense again in 2011-12 — the best player in the league, LeBron James, won the MVP and led his team to a title. He put up his usually dominant numbers (27.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 6.2 APG), led the league in virtually every advanced statistic (Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus) and led the Heat to the two-seed in the East strike-shortened season (46-20). Kevin Durant (28.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 50-39-86 shoot splits) was awesome as well, but LeBron was still, by far, the league's top dog.

Did the right player win the MVP? Absolutely. 

LeBron was ROBBED of the first-ever unanimous MVP vote in 2012-13, receiving 120 of a possible 121 first-place votes. He also believes that he was robbed of the Defensive Player of the Year trophy, finishing second to Marc Gasol. On offense, he averaged 26.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.3 APG and shot an absurdly efficient 56.5 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three. On defense, he was the anchor of the team that gave up the fifth-fewest points. He and the Heat also won 27 straight games — the second-longest winning streak in NBA history — and the NBA championship. While I personally think 2018 LeBron was the greatest basketball player I've ever seen, 2013 LeBron certainly has an argument and was probably the best two-way player ever during that season. No one else even deserves a mention in 2012-13.

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes. 

Kevin Durant channeled his inner-LeBron in 2013-14, putting up insane numbers (32.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 5.5 APG with 50-39-87 shooting splits) and advanced stats (led the league in Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player and Box Plus/Minus). He carried the Thunder to the second-best record in the NBA despite only having Russell Westbrook for 46 games. LeBron (27.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, 57-38-75 shooting splits) came in second place and was still the NBA's best player, but Durant deserved the MVP and closed the gap in 2013-14. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes. 

Stephen Curry's 2014-15 MVP award was a little controversial in real time, but upon further review, he was definitely the best choice. He averaged only 23.8 PPG, but had 49-44-91 shooting splits and began the NBA's three-point revolution, netting a league-best 286 threes. He also averaged 7.7 APG, 2.0 SPG, led the Warriors to a league-best 67 wins and a championship. While LeBron James fans still (correctly) thought that LeBron was the best player in the NBA, his season was a little lackluster by his standards (25.3 PPG, 7.4 APG, 6.0 RPG, 49-35-71 shooting splits) and the Cavs were a little more lethargic than expected, winning only 53 games. James Harden, who came in second place, had an excellent season as well (27.4 PPG, 7.0 APG, 5.7 RPG, 44-38-87 shooting splits), but Curry had made the leap to the inner circle of the NBA's best players.

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes. 

This one was an absolute no-brainer. In 2016, Steph Curry basically broke basketball, bringing a three-point revolution to basketball that nobody quite saw coming. In addition to averaging 30.1 PPG, 6.7 APG, 5.4 RPG and 2.1 SPG, he had absurd shooting splits (50-45-91) and set the NBA record for most three-pointers in a season with 402. Oh, and he led the Warriors to an NBA record 73-9 in the regular season. He also was the first-ever unanimous MVP, capturing all 131 first-place votes. Curry took the NBA by storm during his second MVP run, and even though he fell excruciatingly short of capping his historic season off with a championship, he was still undoubtedly the MVP. 

Did the right player win the MVP? In the moment, yes, but in retrospect, maybe not. 

Similar to Allen Iverson's 2001 MVP, in the moment, Russell Westbrook (31.6 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 10.4 APG with the best Player Efficiency Rating, Value Over Replacement Player and Box Plus/Minus) had the MVP narrative — he was the one who stayed in OKC when Durant left, averaged a triple-double and broke Oscar Robertson's triple-double record. He also hit some memorable shots, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer on the last night of the regular season — the night he broke the record — to cap off a 50-point triple-double. In retrospect, however, James Harden (29.1 PPG, 11.2 APG, 8.1 RPG, most win shares and eight more wins than Westbrook's Thunder), Kawhi Leonard (25.5 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.5 APG, 49-38-88 shooting splits, third in Defensive Player of the Year, 14 more wins than Westbrook), or LeBron James (26.4 PPG, 8.7 APG, 8.6 RPG, 55-36-67, fifth in Defensive Player of the Year, four more wins than Westbrook, best player amongst the four candidates) were all probably just as deserving, if not more. For what it's worth, I had Westbrook-LeBron-Harden-Kawhi in real time, but most seem to feel that Harden was most deserving when this MVP award is discussed nowadays — mostly due to Westbrook's inefficient style of play.

Did the right player win the MVP? Probably, but LeBron was a justifiable choice. 

My choice for MVP in 2018 was LeBron James. However, James Harden was right there with James statistically and was the best player on the best regular-season team. LeBron averaged 27.5 PPG, 9.1 APG, 8.6 RPG with 54-37-73 shooting splits and played all 82 games. Harden averaged 30.4 PPG, 8.8 APG, 5.4 RPG with 45-37-86 shooting splits and played 72 games. The two were neck-and-neck in most advanced stats as well. The Cavs only won 50 games, but much of that could be blamed on injuries, the Kyrie Irving trade (which yielded them an injured Isaiah Thomas), and a mid-season trade bonanza that changed half their roster. The Rockets won a league-best 65 games. That said, they had Chris Paul, Eric Gordon, PJ Tucker, and Trevor Ariza all in their prime as well as a young Clint Capela — a perfect team around Harden. All of that context was a draw in my mind, so I went with the guy who I thought was the league's best player... and I was vindicated in the 2018 playoffs.

Did the right player win the MVP? Maybe not.

The 2019 MVP boiled down to whether you believed the best player on the best team (Giannis) deserved the award or the most statistically impressive player (James Harden) deserved the honor. Giannis (27.7 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.3 SPG) and the Bucks steamrolled their way to a 60-win season; Harden (36.1 PPG, 7.5 APG, 6.6 RPG) iso-balled his way to one of the most statistically dominant seasons in NBA history, including a 32-game streak of scoring 30 points or more. The Bucks beat opponents so badly that Giannis only played 32.8 MPG; the Rockets did everything in their organization's power to make Harden the MVP. In real time, I wrote that both players were worthy, but that Harden's season was more memorable, ergo, more MVP-worthy, so the voters may have gotten the 2019 MVP award wrong. 

Did the right player win the MVP? I guess so. 

Ah, the COVID season. Recall, the week before the world shut down, LeBron James (25.3 PPG, 10.2 APG, 7.8 RPG) and the West-leading Lakers had notched three consecutive impressive victories on national TV against the Pelicans, Bucks and Clippers. During the game against the Bucks, Giannis (29.5 PPG, 13.6 RPG, 5.6 APG) injured his knee and appeared likely to miss most of the rest of the regular season. Everything had fallen in place for LeBron to make a late-season push to win the award, but alas, COVID paused the season and the MVP vote was based solely on the games that had been played up to that point. So while Giannis deserved the MVP up to that point, it probably would have been a different story had the season not been interrupted by the pandemic. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Yes. 

The Joker's first MVP award was a clean, drama-free victory as he received 91 of the 100 first-place votes. Joel Embiid (28.5 PPG, 10.6 RPG), who came in second, only played 52 games whereas Jokic (26.4 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 8.3 APG with 57-39-87 shooting splits) played 72 games and lead the league in most advanced statistics (Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus, etc.) while also leading the Nuggets to third place in the West. Steph Curry, who had five first-place votes, came in third place, but the Warriors didn't even make the playoffs. 

Did the right player win the MVP? Probably. 

Did Nikola Jokic (27.1 PPG, 13.8 RPG, 7.9 APG) deserve to win his second straight MVP last season? Yes. Could you make an argument that Joel Embiid (30.6 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 4.2 APG) also deserved to win the award? Yes. Hell, you could even make an argument that Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.9 PPG, 11.6 RPG, 5.8 APG) deserved to win the award. Like this season, all three candidates had MVP-worthy seasons, but Jokic's season was probably a little more impressive considering Jamal Murray missed the entire season and Michael Porter Jr. missed all but nine games and Jokic was still able to carry the Nuggets to 48 wins in the West. Jokic also lead the league in nearly every advanced statistic (Player Efficiency Rating, Win Shares, Value Over Replacement Player, Box Plus/Minus, etc.), which seemed to further justify his MVP case.