Almost Doesn't Count: The Greatest NBA Players To Never Win an MVP

The winner of the Maurice Podoloff trophy is an award that recognizes the NBA's Most Valuable Player.  The winner of the award is usually determined on two conditions.

Either he is the best player on the best team, or the best player in basketball period;as long as his team is in playoff condition.

Before Friday, Kobe Bryant stood in a long line of great players to never win an MVP.

But now that he is exempt from the list, let's take a look at some other greats to never win MVP.

The Player: Jerry West, Los Angeles Lakers, Shooting Guard

Best Season He Could Have Won It: 1971-72

Team Record: 69-13

Stat Line: 25.8 PPG, 9.7 APG APG and 4.2 RPG

Why He Didn't Win It:

Jerry West was near the end of his career that season, but his team won a then record 69 games.  West also lead the league in assists that season.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won his second straight MVP that season, and his Milwaukee Bucks won 63 games.

West's Lakers defeated Kareem's Bucks in the Conference Finals, and went on to win the NBA Finals 4-1 against New York.

He might be the greatest player to never win an MVP

It's literally a shock that the man known as "Mr. Clutch" never won an MVP.

 
The Player: Isiah Thomas, Detroit Pistons, Point Guard

Best Season He Could Have Won It: 1984-85

Team Record: 46-36

Stat Line: 21.2 PPG, 13.9 APG and 2.3 SPG

Why He Didn't Win It:

His team's record was probably the factor in why he didn't win it.

The Pistons lost in the second round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics and Larry Bird, who won his second consecutive MVP that season, averaged 28 points and 10 rebounds on a better team.

The Celtics's 63 victories that season made the decision a lot easier, but Thomas' stat line was just simply impressive. 

It's almost absurd that Thomas never won an MVP, but he played in the era of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.

Hands down, the greatest point guard to never win an MVP.

 

The Player: John Havlicek, Boston Celtics, Guard/Forward

Best Season He Could Have Won It: 1972-73

Team Record: 68-14

Stat Line: 23.8 PPG, 7.1 RPG and 6.6 APG

Why He Didn't Win It:

Havlicek's Celtics won an NBA best 68 games that season, but lost in the Conference Finals to the New York Knicks—who went on to win the NBA Championship.

Unfortunately for Havlicek, his teammate Dave Cowens won the award that season.

Though Cowens averaged less points per game than Havlicek, Cowens 16.2 RPG was probably the reason Cowens got the edge over his teammate. 

 

The Player: Dominique Wilkins, Atlanta Hawks, Small Forward

Best Season He Could Have Won It: 1986-87

Team Record: 57-32

Stat Line: 29.0 PPG, 6.3 RPG and 1.5 SPG

Why He Didn't Win It:

Magic Johnson's season was simply better, and his Los Angeles Lakers won 65 games that season.

Dominique's Hawks held the league's third best record that season, but it wasn't enough for Nique to win his first MVP.

The Hawks went on to lose in five games of the 1987 playoffs against the Detroit Pistons.

Wilkins, one of the NBA's greatest scorers to never win an MVP.

 
The Player: Elvin Hayes, Washington Bullets, Power Forward

Best Season He Could Have Won It: 1974-75

Team Record: 60-22

Stat Line: 23.0 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.3 BPG and 1.9 SPG

Why He Didn't Win It:

As amazing as Hayes' stats were, Bob McAdoo's numbers were just unreal (34.5 PPG, 14.1 RPG, and 2.1 BPG).

McAdoo's Buffalo Braves only won less games (49) than Hayes' Bullets, but the numbers spoke for themselves as McAdoo was named MVP that season.

The Washington Wizards were tied for the best record in the NBA, but the best player on the best team failed to win the NBA that year.

Hayes, along with the Bullets, made the NBA Finals that season, but were swept by the Golden State Warriors.

Elvin Hayes is probably the best Power Forward to never win an MVP.

The Player: Rick Barry, San Francisco Warriors, Small Forward

Best Season He Could Have Won It: 1966-67

Team Record: 44-37

Stat Line: 35.6 PPG, 9.2 RPG

Why He Didn't Win It:

It was only his second year in the NBA, but Barry led the league in scoring that season.  Barry wasn't the best guy to get along with

The Warriors had the third best record in the NBA, but Wilt Chamberlain, who won the MVP that year, was simply a beast all around.

Chamberlain led his Philadelphia 76ers to a league best 68 wins, and averaged 24 points, 24 rebounds and 7 assists per game.

Barry and Chamberlain met in the NBA Finals that season, and Philly came out with the championship in six games.  Barry did however win a championship seven years later.

It was a close race this year, but Chamberlain's numbers were too incredible for him not to win the MVP.

Barry is one of the best scorers in NBA and ABA history, and it's a shame that he never a taste as the league's Most Valuable Player. 

The Player: George Gervin, San Antonio Spurs, Shooting Guard

Best Season He Could Have Won It: 1981-82

Team Record: 48-34

Stat Line: 32.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG

Why He Didn't Win It:

Five other teams had a better record than Gervin's Spurs, despite them winning the Midwest Division.

The MVP, Moses Malone, led his Philadelphia 76ers to 58 wins and averages 31 points, 14 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game.  Bottom line, Moses had the better record and the 14 RPG gave him the edge over Gervin.

Gervin's Spurs made the Conference Finals, but were swept by the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The Iceman averaged at least 27 points in six different seasons, but his team's success is what caused him to never win an MVP.

The Player: Patrick Ewing, New York Knicks, Center

Best Season He Could Have Won It: 1992-93

Team Record: 60-22

Stat Line: 24.2 PPG, 12.1 RPG and 2.0 BPG

Why He Didn't Win It:

The New York Knicks had the best record in the Eastern Conference that season, but one player out West led his team to 62 victories.  The Knicks even won more games than the heavily favored Chicago Bulls in the East.

Sir Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns won the MVP that season, but the MVP could have to either guy that season.

Since Barkley made it to the Finals that year, the decision ultimately looked like the right one.

The Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, but they lost in six games to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. 

As great as Ewing was, he just might be the greatest center to never win an MVP.

Past Winners

2006-07 - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
2005-06 - Steve Nash, Phoenix
2004-05 - Steve Nash, Phoenix
2003-04 - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota
2002-03 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
2001-02 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio
2000-01 - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia
1999-00 - Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers
1998-99 - Karl Malone, Utah
1997-98 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1996-97 - Karl Malone, Utah
1995-96 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1994-95 - David Robinson, San Antonio
1993-94 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston
1992-93 - Charles Barkley, Phoenix
1991-92 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1990-91 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1989-90 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1988-89 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1987-88 - Michael Jordan, Chicago
1986-87 - Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers
1985-86 - Larry Bird, Boston
1984-85 - Larry Bird, Boston
1983-84 - Larry Bird, Boston
1982-83 - Moses Malone, Philadelphia
1981-82 - Moses Malone, Houston
1980-81 - Julius Erving, Philadelphia
1979-80 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1978-79 - Moses Malone, Houston
1977-78 - Bill Walton, Portland
1976-77 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1975-76 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles
1974-75 - Bob McAdoo, Buffalo
1973-74 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1972-73 - Dave Cowens, Boston
1971-72 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1970-71 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee
1969-70 - Willis Reed, New York
1968-69 - Wes Unseld, Baltimore
1967-68 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1966-67 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1965-66 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1964-65 - Bill Russell, Boston
1963-64 - Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati
1962-63 - Bill Russell, Boston
1961-62 - Bill Russell, Boston
1960-61 - Bill Russell, Boston
1959-60 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia
1958-59 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis
1957-58 - Bill Russell, Boston
1956-57 - Bob Cousy, Boston
1955-56 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis

Michael Whittenberg is a NBA Community Leader and Senior Writer for BleacherReport.com