Jaylen Brown is golden.
The Boston Celtics became 18-time NBA champions after beating the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 in the 2024 finals.
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Boston enjoyed several tremendous performances from its stars throughout the five games, but the Finals MVP award could only go to one player. That was Brown.
Brown, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 draft, averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists across the series while making multiple significant plays on both ends of the floor.
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After also claiming the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, Brown made league history with the championship success.
Here’s everything to know about the NBA Finals MVP award since its creation in the late 1960s.
NBA
Who won the first ever NBA Finals MVP?
The first ever NBA Finals MVP was awarded to Jerry West in 1968-69. West suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers, who lost the series 4-3 to the Boston Celtics. In that series, West averaged 37.9 points, 7.4 assists and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 49% from the field (96-for-196) and 83.9% from the foul line (73-for-87).
Has a losing player ever won NBA Finals MVP?
There has been only one losing player to win the NBA Finals MVP – Jerry West. It happened in the aforementioned series in which West and the Lakers lost 4-3 to the Celtics in the 1969 NBA Finals.
Who has won the most NBA Finals MVPs?
Michael Jordan has won the most NBA Finals MVPs with six, each coming with the Chicago Bulls.
LeBron James has won the award four times – the only player to do so on three different teams – while Magic Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan all won it three times.
How many NBA players have won Finals MVP?
There have been 55 NBA players who have won Finals MVP since the 1968-69 campaign. Here’s a list of each winner in reverse chronological order:
- 2023-24: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
- 2022-23: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
- 2021-22: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- 2020-21: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
- 2019-20: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
- 2018-19: Kawhi Leonard, Toronto Raptors
- 2017-18: Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
- 2016-17: Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors
- 2015-16: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2014-15: Andre Iguodala, Golden State Warriors
- 2013-14: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
- 2012-13: LeBron James, Miami Heat
- 2011-12: LeBron James, Miami Heat
- 2010-11: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
- 2009-10: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
- 2008-09: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
- 2007-08: Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
- 2006-07: Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs
- 2005-06: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat
- 2004-05: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
- 2003-04: Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons
- 2002-03: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
- 2001-02: Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
- 2000-01: Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
- 1999-00: Shaquille O’Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
- 1998-99: Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
- 1997-98: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
- 1996-97: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
- 1995-96: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
- 1994-95: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
- 1993-94: Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets
- 1992-93: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
- 1991-92: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
- 1990-91: Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls
- 1989-90: Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons
- 1988-89: Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons
- 1987-88: James Worthy, Los Angeles Lakers
- 1986-87: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
- 1985-86: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
- 1984-85: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles Lakers
- 1983-84: Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
- 1982-83: Moses Malone, Philadelphia 76ers
- 1981-82: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
- 1980-81: Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics
- 1979-80: Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
- 1978-79: Dennis Johnson, Seattle SuperSonics
- 1977-78: Wes Unseld, Washington Bullets
- 1976-77: Bill Walton, Portland Trail Blazers
- 1975-76: Jo Jo White, Boston Celtics
- 1974-75: Rick Barry, Golden State Warriors
- 1973-74: John Havlicek, Boston Celtics
- 1972-73: Willis Reed, New York Knicks
- 1971-72: Wilt Chamberlain, Los Angeles Lakers
- 1970-71: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee Bucks
- 1969-70: Willis Reed, New York Knicks
- 1968-69: Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers
Has an NBA player won regular-season MVP and Finals MVP in the same season?
There have been 15 instances where the winner of the regular-season NBA MVP also won the Finals edition. The most recent came in 2012 and 2013 when LeBron James achieved the feat in consecutive seasons, though Michael Jordan has done it the most times (four).
Here’s a chronological look starting from 1970, when Willis Reed became the first player to do so with the New York Knicks:
1970: Willis Reed
1971: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
1983: Moses Malone
1984: Larry Bird
1986: Larry Bird
1987: Magic Johnson
1991: Michael Jordan
1992: Michael Jordan
1994: Hakeem Olajuwon
1996: Michael Jordan
1998: Michael Jordan
2000: Shaquille O'Neal
2003: Tim Duncan
2012: LeBron James
2013: LeBron James
