One Season, Two MVPs—Only These NBA Greats Were That Good
Winning the regular-season MVP is hard. Winning Finals MVP is harder. Winning both in the same year? That’s reserved for a rare class of players who ran the whole calendar. It means outlasting every challenger from October to June, and showing up when it matters the most.
Only 10 legends have ever pulled it off. Here’s how they each made a season entirely their own.
Michael Jordan Did It Four Times
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You could divide Jordan’s career into separate eras, and each one might still belong on this list. He did the MVP double in 1991, 1992, 1996, and 1998 while outscoring legends and making sure the best version of himself always showed up. Whether it was Game 1’s shrug in ’92 or Game 6’s dagger in ’98, Jordan turned every big stage into his own.
Lebron James Claimed It in Back-To-Back Years
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In 2012 and 2013, LeBron was the undisputed center of the NBA. He led the Miami Heat and won the MVP over Kevin Durant both years. His 2013 title included a near triple-double average in the Finals and a legendary comeback in Game 6.
Larry Bird Doubled Up Twice With the Celtics
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Bird’s 1984 and 1986 campaigns remain benchmarks for all-around brilliance. In 1984, he fought through a grueling Finals against the Lakers, and in 1986, he flirted with a triple-double average across the Finals against Houston. He remains the only forward besides LeBron to win both MVP honors twice in different seasons.
Tim Duncan’s 2003 Run Was Nearly Flawless
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Game 6 of the 2003 Finals nearly became history. Duncan logged 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and eight blocks, and came within a whisker of the first quadruple-double ever recorded in the Finals. His entire season followed that kind of excellence.
Shaquille O’Neal Steamrolled His Way Through 2000
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The 2000 season belonged to Shaq from the moment the first tip-off hit his fingertips. Nearly 30 points and 14 rebounds per game in the regular season turned into a Finals performance that made defenders reconsider their life choices—38 points and nearly 17 rebounds per night. At times, it felt like gravity had a second job of keeping defenders from escaping Shaq’s orbit.
Hakeem Olajuwon Crushed the 1994 Playoffs
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With Jordan briefly out of the league, Olajuwon seized the moment. He outpaced David Robinson for regular-season MVP and outplayed Patrick Ewing in the Finals. Hakeem averaged nearly four blocks per game in the Finals while shooting 50 percent from the field, which broughtHouston its first-ever title.
Magic Johnson Orchestrated Everything in 1987
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In 1987, Magic averaged nearly 12.5 assists per game in the regular season, then turned around and added 13 per game in the Finals. Oh, and he won both MVPs while dealing with the Celtics in the Finals—because, of course, he did.
Moses Malone Willed the Sixers to a Title
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When Moses joined the Sixers, he confidently predicted a clean sweep through the playoffs. While they dropped just one game, the attitude behind that quote tells you everything about his 1983 season. He was relentless and put up 24.5 points and 15.3 rebounds in the regular season, before elevating that production in the Finals with 18 boards a night.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Was Unstoppable in 1971
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In 1971, Kareem (still going by Lew Alcindor at the time) looked like he came from the future. He led the league in scoring, shot over 60 percent, and, alongside Oscar Robertson, helped the Bucks roll through the playoffs. The Finals were a clean sweep, with Kareem dropping 27 and 18.5 per game.
Willis Reed Made History in 1970
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Reed was the first to win both MVPs in the same season, and he did it with grit. Despite injuries, he led the Knicks to a title over the Lakers. He averaged 23.0 points and over 10 rebounds in the Finals and famously hobbled onto the court for Game 7.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Could Become the First to Win All Three Mvps
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Thanks to the NBA’s new format, there’s a new possible feat on the table: the MVP triple crown. With the 2025 regular-season MVP and Western Conference Finals MVP already under his belt, Shai has a shot at becoming the first player ever to win three MVPs in a single postseason run. The Finals are his final test—and if he pulls it off, he’ll be in a club of one.
Jordan Battled MVP Rivals on Both Fronts
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In both 1991 and 1997, Jordan’s MVP season was followed by Finals wins over the player he beat for the award. In ’91, he won MVP over Magic Johnson and then outdueled him in five games. In ’97, he lost MVP to Karl Malone, then reclaimed the spotlight by winning the Finals over Malone’s Jazz.
Lebron’s 2013 Game 7 Was a Legacy Moment
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27 points per game, near triple-double averages, 56% shooting from the floor—but the real legacy of LeBron’s 2013 season lives in Game 7. After Ray Allen’s miracle three saved Miami in Game 6, it was LeBron who slammed the door shut. His 37-point explosion against the Spurs sealed the title and delivered one of the most pressure-packed Finals MVP finishes the league has seen.
Duncan’s 2003 Finals Nearly Included a Quadruple-Double
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In Game 6 of the 2003 Finals, Duncan recorded 21 points, 20 rebounds, 10 assists, and eight blocks. Had two more shots been recorded as blocks, he would’ve posted the first quadruple-double in Finals history.
Jordan Broke 30 Points Often
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Michael Jordan averaged over 30 points per game in the regular season during 1991 and 1992. In the Finals, he topped 30 points per game in three of the four years, only dipping to 27.3 in 1996 against a tough Seattle defense.