Athletes With the Most MVP Awards in Their League’s History
Some players stay in the competition long enough to change what “valuable” means. Year after year, their consistency turned MVP races into a question of who’d finish second. Let’s take a look at the players who turned being “most valuable” into a habit across the major leagues.
The Great One’s Record That Still Stands
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Hakandahlstrom
Wayne Gretzky redefined the meaning of dominance in hockey. Between 1980 and 1987, he won eight straight Hart Trophies and then decided to grab one more in 1989 for good measure. That’s nine MVP awards in total, the most by any athlete in North American professional sports. Gretzky was so far ahead of his time that his records look like misprints.
At his peak with the Edmonton Oilers, he was scoring and assisting at rates that still make statisticians shake their heads. To this day, no player has come remotely close to matching his MVP total.
Barry Bonds: Baseball’s Most Controversial King
In baseball, Barry Bonds sits atop the MVP records with seven awards. He won his first two with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the rest with the San Francisco Giants.
Three of those MVPs came before the steroid controversy, and the next four came during an era when he was still crushing baseballs into orbit. Love him or hate him, his numbers tell a story that’s impossible to ignore. No other MLB player has more than three MVP awards, which says everything about how far ahead of the pack he was.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The Skyhook Standard
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Steve lipofsky
Basketball has seen its fair share of superstars, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s name stands tallest when it comes to MVPs. He won six NBA MVPs across two teams and two decades by using his signature skyhook to score over anyone who dared challenge him. Kareem collected his first three MVPs as a Milwaukee Buck and added three more after joining the Los Angeles Lakers.
His consistency was unmatched from the rough 1970s to the glitzy Showtime 1980s. Even with legends like Michael Jordan and LeBron James in the conversation, Kareem still holds the record for the most NBA MVPs.
Manning The NFL’s Record
When it comes to football, Peyton Manning set a standard every quarterback still chases. With five NFL MVPs, he stands alone in league history. Manning won four of them while leading the Indianapolis Colts and added another during his run with the Denver Broncos.
The numbers, the leadership, the postseason heartbreaks and triumphs all added up to a career that made him the most decorated regular-season player in NFL history.
Jordan, Russell, And The Chase For Greatness
Image via Wikimedia Commons/Nikeush
Michael Jordan earned five MVPs during a career that defined basketball’s modern era. He won in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998, while guiding the Chicago Bulls through two separate three-peats.
Bill Russell also reached five during his run with the Boston Celtics, dominating the 1950s and 1960s when defense and leadership mattered as much as scoring.
Other Serial MVP Winners
Some legends sit just below the elite tier but remain part of sports history’s most exclusive club. Gordie Howe captured six NHL MVPs before Gretzky came along. LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain both earned four NBA MVPs, while Magic Johnson won three. Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers all won three or more in football.
Every league has its icons, and only a select few maintain the consistency to dominate the MVP conversation year after year.