Ranking the Last 50 NBA MVPs

The MVP award is the single most coveted piece of hardware in the NBA, at least among the ones awarded to individual players. To lift the Maurice Podoloff Trophy at the end of the season, a player has had to put together a truly special campaign (in most cases, at least).

Ever since Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks took home the first such award in 1956, one player has been recognized for his individual greatness each and every year.

So how do the last 50 winners, ranging from Bill Russell in 1962 to Derrick Rose this past season, stack up?

These rankings don't measure the overall careers of the players, but rather the one specific season that allowed them to lift up the trophy in front of their exuberant home fans at the end of the year.

Do note that only the regular season counts for MVP voting. Playoff statistics, playoff wins and championships are completely and utterly irrelevant.

Read on to see how the last 50 MVP seasons rank.

50. Steve Nash (2005-2006)

Per Game Stats: 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 10.5 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.2 blocks

Team: Phoenix Suns

Record: 54-28 (first in NBA Pacific Division, third in Western Conference, fourth in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Shawn Marion, Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, Leandro Barbosa

Steve Nash's second MVP award was even more of a mistake than his first.

Nash's stats were clearly inflated by the seven seconds or less offense that the Phoenix Suns ran, and he was virtually nonexistent on the defensive end of the court. Moreover, his team could only muster up the third-best record in the Western Conference.

Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and even Chauncey Billups were all significantly more valuable during the 2005-2006 season than the league's most entertaining point guard.

49. Steve Nash (2004-2005)

Per Game Stats: 15.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 11.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.1 blocks

Team: Phoenix Suns

Record: 62-20 (first in NBA Pacific Division, first in Western Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Amar'e Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson

The Phoenix Suns' high-paced offensive system made Steve Nash the most fun player to watch in basketball, but it by no means made him the most valuable.

After all, if you took the point guard off the roster, Amar'e Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson and the other members of the team would still have won a ton of games.

Nash was terrific, make no mistake about it, but he wasn't even the best player on his own team.

48. Bill Walton (1977-1978)

Per Game Stats: 18.9 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 2.5 blocks

Team: Portland Trail Blazers

Record: 58-24 (first in NBA Pacific Division, first in Western Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Maurice Lucas, Lionel Hollins

Behind a very strong Portland Trail Blazers team, Bill Walton managed to somehow win over MVP voters after winning the championship the previous year. This season, however, Walton really didn't do anything to stand out above the other dominant players in the NBA.

18.9 points and 13.2 rebounds per game is nothing to sneeze at, but it's nothing to write home about either.

47. Wes Unseld (1968-1969)

Per Game Stats: 13.8 points, 18.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists

Team: Baltimore Bullets

Record: 57-25 (first in NBA Eastern Division, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Earl Monroe, Kevin Loughery, Gus Johnson, Jack Marin

Wes Unseld was undoubtedly fun to watch, but he was by no means the best player in the league during the 1967-1968 regular season. After all, a player who averages only 13.8 points per game better at least come close to the league lead in rebounding and play good defense to be considered for the MVP award in my book.

Unseld, though, finished fifth in rebounds per game while playing basketball on the defensive end of the court that was far short of dominant during his rookie season. Sure, his team had the best record in the league, but he was playing alongside a whole hell of a lot of talent.

The rookie wasn't even the best player on his own team, an honor that should belong to Earl Monroe. As for the best player in the league, well, it's tough to argue against Billy Cunningham winning his only MVP instead here.

All that said, Unseld did help the Baltimore Bullets go directly from worst to first during his first season out of Louisville.

46. Dave Cowens (1972-1973)

Per Game Stats: 20.5 points, 16.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists

Team: Boston Celtics

Record: 68-14 (first in NBA Atlantic Division, first in Eastern Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: John Havlicek, Jo Jo White, Paul Silas

I still haven't quite reconciled in my head just how Dave Cowens managed to take home this bit of hardware at the end of the Boston Celtics' stellar 1972-1973 campaign, one in which they finished the regular season eight games ahead of any other team in the league.

That season, no player was more dominant than Tiny Archibald, who led the league with both 34.0 points and 11.4 assists per game. If not Archibald, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar should have added yet another MVP to his total. But not Cowens.

That said, Cowens won the award. He was undoubtedly great during that season, and his hustle and intangibles can't possibly be statistically measured.

45. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1979-1980)

Per Game Stats: 24.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 3.4 blocks

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 60-22 (first in NBA Pacific Division, first in Western Conference, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Magic Johnson, Jamaal Wilkes, Norm Nixon

Finally playing alongside a young Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar earned his record sixth MVP award following the 1979-1980 season. That year, his Los Angeles Lakers ran their way to a 60-22 record, one shy of the Boston Celtics for the best mark in the NBA.

Abdul-Jabbar, now 32 years old, was clearly not the same player that he was during his peak years. That should be pretty clear from the fact that he averaged only 24.8 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

For the first time in a while, the master of the sky hook no longer had a stranglehold on his title of the best player in the game. Julius Erving was threatening that title, and honestly, he probably should have been the MVP this season.

44. Moses Malone (1978-1979)

Per Game Stats: 24.8 points, 17.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.5 blocks

Team: Houston Rockets

Record: 47-35 (second in NBA Central Division, fourth in Eastern Conference, seventh in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Calvin Murphy, Rick Barry, Rudy Tomjanovich

After adding some weight in the offseason to be able to push around bigger opponents in the paint, Moses Malone put up the best season of his still young career during his fifth season in the NBA. The problem was, even with all the talent surrounding him, the Houston Rockets could only muster up 47 wins during the 1978-1979 season.

Malone led the league in rebounding at 17.6 rebounds per game and finished fifth in scoring. His 587 offensive boards that season remain the all-time record in the category.

43. Karl Malone (1998-1999)

Per Game Stats: 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 0.6 blocks

Team: Utah Jazz

Record: 37-13 (second in NBA Midwest Division, second in Western Conference, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: John Stockton, Bryon Russell, Jeff Hornacek

Now this one is an MVP that Karl Malone actually deserved to lay claim to—well, inasmuch as that is possible in a lockout-shortened season. For the Malone supporters out there, I apologize in advance for hating on Malone during this article. I'm a huge fan but slightly skeptical about his two MVP awards.

Malone was the third-best scorer in the league, and his numbers were quite a bit worse than his previous campaigns. It was becoming increasingly clear that the years and physical toll of the NBA were starting to do damage to Malone's impenetrable frame.

42. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1975-1976)

Per Game Stats: 27.7 points, 16.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 4.1 blocks

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 40-42 (fourth in NBA Pacific Division, fourth in Western Conference, ninth in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Gail Goodrich, Lucius Allen

It doesn't matter how good you are if you can't win games. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar may have finished second to Bob Dandridge in scoring and led the league in rebounding (in fact, he set an all-time record for defensive rebounds in a season), but a losing record doesn't cut it in my book. Not if you want to be considered a legitimate MVP, at least.

The NBA's all-time greatest player who wore goggles joined the Los Angeles Lakers at the beginning of the season when the Milwaukee Bucks traded him and Walt Wesley for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Dave Myers and Junior Bridgeman. Even though he had another statistically dominant season, his team didn't even make the playoffs.

41. Dirk Nowitzki (2006-2007)

Per Game Stats: 24.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.8 blocks

Team: Dallas Mavericks

Record: 67-15 (first in NBA Southwest Division, first in Western Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Devin Harris

With an absolutely stacked supporting cast, Dirk Nowitzki became the first and only European player to win the MVP when he led the Dallas Mavericks to a 67-15 record during the 2006-2007 NBA season.

The seven-footer with a deft touch from outside and a flamingo-like fadeaway jumper that seemed to peak at the rafters didn't dominate in any one way, but he was a consistent contributor across the board and really was the best player in basketball that season.

That said, it's hard for me to argue that he was the most valuable when you look at the notable teammates rostered by the Mavs that season.

40. Julius Erving (1980-1981)

Per Game Stats: 24.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 2.1 steals, 1.8 blocks 

Team: Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 62-20 (second in NBA Atlantic Division, second in Eastern Conference, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Darryl Dawkins, Bobby Jones, Maurice Cheeks

Bringing the high-flying ABA style to the NBA, Julius Erving took the league by storm with his above-the-rim style of play. The rest of the league succumbed to his offensive skills as the Philadelphia 76ers put up a 62-20 record, tying them with the always good Boston Celtics.

Erving finished slightly below Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the PER standings, but he was the most efficient player in the league in terms of overall play.

39. Wilt Chamberlain (1967-1968)

Per Game Stats: 24.3 points, 23.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists

Team: Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 62-20 (first in NBA Eastern Division, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham

Wilt Chamberlain's teammates were only getting better during this season, but somehow they couldn't match the previous season's record-setting pace. This was mostly due to the internal conflict between the center and owner Irv Kosloff, one that didn't help Chamberlain maintain the same drive he had during the 1966-1967 season.

Once more, the Philadelphia 76ers posted the best record in the NBA behind the Chairman of the Boards' impressive statistical contributions. He led the league in rebounding at a 23.8 boards per game clip, finished fourth in scoring and led the league in total assists (although not assists per game), making him the first and only center in NBA history to do so.

But the problem I have with this season is that Chamberlain's focus was solely on the statistics and not on winning games. He would pass up on open shots that he could and probably would have made in order to feed his teammates the ball with the hopes of adding just one more dime to his stat sheet. Chamberlain was great, but he could have been even better.

38. Charles Barkley (1992-1993)

Per Game Stats: 25.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.0 blocks

Team: Phoenix Suns

Record: 62-20 (first in NBA Pacific Division, first in Western Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Dan Majerle, Kevin Johnson, Richard Dumas

The MVP voters must have been tired of giving Michael Jordan the award because that's really the only explanation I can come up with for Charles Barkley winning during the 1992-1993 season.

To be fair, Barkley did post another incredible campaign and probably deserved to win an MVP at some point. He and the Phoenix Suns finished with the best record in the NBA.

You may notice that I didn't call them "Barkley's Suns." After all, Dan Majerle, Kevin Johnson and Richard Dumas all put together very impressive seasons in support.

37. Tim Duncan (2002-2003)

Per Game Stats: 23.3 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.9 blocks

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Record: 60-22 (first in NBA Midwest Division, first in Western Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Tony Parker, Stephen Jackson, Malik Rose

With the improved play of French point guard Tony Parker, the San Antonio Spurs got even better and improved to 60 wins, good enough to place them first in the parity-filled NBA of the 2002-2003 season. But as good as Parker was that season, Duncan was that much better.

No. 21 wasn't as statistically impressive as either Tracy McGrady or Shaquille O'Neal, but his Spurs were a good bit better than either McGrady's Orlando Magic or Shaq's Los Angeles Lakers.

36. Allen Iverson (2000-2001)

Per Game Stats: 31.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.3 blocks

Team: Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 56-26 (first in NBA Atlantic Division, first in Eastern Conference, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Theo Ratliff, Dikembe Mutombo

Allen Iverson and his lack of desire for practice took over the NBA during the early 2000s. The cornrowed scoring machine may not have been a traditional guard, but his style of play sure worked well for him.

Iverson led the NBA in scoring during the 2000-2001 season, as his not-so-talented Philadelphia 76ers played their way to the second-best record in the league. Wearing the shooting sleeve for the first time in his career, Iverson helped his team win its first 10 games of the season and never looked back.

35. Magic Johnson (1988-1989)

Per Game Stats: 22.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.3 blocks

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 57-25 (first in NBA Pacific Division, first in Western Conference, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: James Worthy, Byron Scott, A.C. Green

Magic Johnson won his second MVP award after directing the Los Angeles Lakers to a 57-25 record, one that was only topped by the Bad Boys in Detroit.

Johnson didn't lead the league in any single category, not even assists now that John Stockton was established in the league, but he did contribute across the board. Truthfully, this award should have wound up in the hands of Michael Jordan yet again.

The point guard had more help than ever in Los Angeles now that James Worthy was contributing, but he couldn't muster up enough wins to reach the 60-win mark.

34. Willis Reed (1969-1970)

Per Game Stats: 21.7 points, 13.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists

Team: New York Knicks

Record: 60-22 (first in NBA Eastern Division, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Walt Frazier, Dave DeBusschere

This season would become more famous during the postseason because the New York Knicks won the first championship in the franchise's history. Additionally, Willis Reed made his surprising appearance in Game 7 of the NBA Finals, walking out of the tunnel to the shock of the Madison Square Garden crowd in a moment that is still unforgettable. But technically, none of that matters here.

What does matter is that Reed led the Knicks to a franchise-record 60 wins while posting the best record in the entire NBA thanks to a jaw-dropping 18-game win streak. Reed's contributions on both ends of the court were invaluable, especially because his team didn't have quite as many stars as other elite teams in the league.

All that said, I'm still at a loss as to why Jerry West didn't win the award this year.

33. Derrick Rose (2010-2011)

Per Game Stats: 25.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.6 blocks

Team: Chicago Bulls

Record: 62-20 (first in NBA Central Division, first in Eastern Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Carlos Boozer, Luol Deng, Joakim Noah

Our most recent MVP winner, Derrick Rose, was not only the most fun player to watch in basketball, but also the most valuable to his team. Carlos Boozer was out for much of the season, and Luol Deng and Joakim Noah are by no means enough to carry a team to the best record in the NBA.

Slashing to the basket and somehow finishing among the trees, Rose managed to score 25 points per game and still find time to average 7.7 dimes per contest. There were quite a few players who were more statistically impressive, but Rose was still the most valuable player in the league.

32. Bill Russell (1962-1963)

Per Game Stats: 16.8 points, 23.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists

Team: Boston Celtics

Record: 58-22 (first in NBA Eastern Division, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Sam Jones, Tom Heinsohn, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek

With the addition of John Havlicek during this season, which would be the last played by Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy, the Boston Celtics were even more dangerous than ever before. Wilt Chamberlain, as always, put up some astounding numbers during this season, but Bill Russell's incredible defensive abilities were able to slow the seven-foot behemoth whenever they met head to head.

Even though the Celtics couldn't reach 60 wins during the 1962-1963 season, as they did the year before, Russell's team was still the most dominant one in basketball. However, because of his impressive teammates and slight decline from the year before, Russell's fourth MVP-winning season was not his best.

31. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1973-1974)

Per Game Stats: 27.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 3.5 blocks

Team: Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 59-23 (first in NBA Midwest Division, first in Western Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Oscar Robertson, Bob Dandridge, Lucius Allen

For the second straight season, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar failed to win the scoring title. However, he did manage to recapture the MVP trophy from Dave Cowens, as he and Oscar Robertson led the Milwaukee Bucks to a fourth straight regular season championship in the Midwest Division.

It was by no means the center's best season, nor was it his team's. But yet again, he did deserve the award.

30. Moses Malone (1981-1982)

Per Game Stats: 31.1 points, 14.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.5 blocks

Team: Houston Rockets

Record: 46-36 (third in NBA Midwest Division, sixth in Western Conference, ninth in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Elvin Hayes, Robert Reid

The Houston Rockets barely made the playoffs this season, which is a little bit surprising considering the fact that they rostered both the season's MVP, Moses Malone, and Elvin Hayes.

One of the hardest workers in NBA history, Malone led the league in rebounding for the second straight season and barely lost the scoring crown to George Gervin. Statistically, this was one of the best seasons that anyone had put up in quite some time.

The voters got it right here, even though the Rockets were far from dominant.

29. Larry Bird (1983-1984)

Per Game Stats: 24.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.9 blocks

Team: Boston Celtics

Record: 62-20 (first in NBA Atlantic Division, first in Eastern Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson

With one of the most stacked teams in NBA history, Larry Bird led the charge for the Boston Celtics in the first of his three consecutive MVP campaigns.

Larry Legend and Adrian Dantley were the two best players in the NBA this season, but Dantley's Utah Jazz were nowhere near as good as Bird's Celtics. As he and the Los Angeles Lakers' Magic Johnson saw their rivalry get more and more heated, Bird reigned supreme this season and rightfully took home the MVP award at the end of the year.

28. Magic Johnson (1986-1987)

Per Game Stats: 23.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 12.2 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.5 blocks

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 65-17 (first in NBA Pacific Division, first in Western Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: James Worthy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Byron Scott

Magic Johnson took home his first MVP award following the 1986-1987 regular season. The studly point guard averaged a career-high 23.9 points per game and led the league in assists with a remarkable 12.2 per game clip.

Michael Jordan was the most statistically impressive player this season, but his Chicago Bulls had a losing record, while Johnson's Lakers had the best record in the NBA.

27. Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-1994)

Per Game Stats: 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 3.7 blocks

Team: Houston Rockets

Record: 58-24 (first in NBA Midwest Division, second in Western Conference, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Otis Thorpe, Vernon Maxwell

With the Dream Shake working quite well, Hakeem Olajuwon dominated on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court, finishing second in blocks, third in scoring and fourth in rebounding despite playing at a time when centers (namely Shaquille O'Neal, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing and Dikembe Mutombo) reigned supreme.

Behind his contributions, the Houston Rockets improved to 58-24, good enough for the second-best record in the NBA.

26. Larry Bird (1985-1986)

Per Game Stats: 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.6 blocks

Team: Boston Celtics

Record: 67-15 (first in NBA Atlantic Division, first in Eastern Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson

Larry Bird took a statistical downturn during his final MVP season, but his Boston Celtics posted their best record of his era with a 67-15 mark. Not even Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers could stay within five games of Bird's Celtics.

He only finished fourth in scoring, but his PER and Win Shares were both tops once more, giving him the third major award of his storied career.

25. Karl Malone (1996-1997)

Per Game Stats: 27.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.6 blocks

Team: Utah Jazz

Record: 64-18 (first in NBA Midwest Division, first in Western Conference, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: John Stockton, Jeff Hornacek

I have no idea why Karl Malone was named the MVP. This should be another win for Michael Jordan, but for some strange reason the voters decided to conspire against Jordan. That may or may not be true, but it may as well be.

Malone was great. Jordan was better. The Utah Jazz won 64 games and dominated the Western Conference. The Chicago Bulls won 69 games and dominated the Eastern Conference. Malone averaged 27.4 points (second in the NBA), 9.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. Jordan averaged 29.6 points (first in the NBA), 5.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Malone was good on defense. Jordan was great on defense.

Do you see what I'm saying? Plus, you can argue that John Stockton was every bit as crucial to the Jazz's success as Malone was during the 1996-1997 season.

He had a fantastic year, but he shouldn't find himself on this list.

24. Bill Russell (1964-1965)

Per Game Stats: 14.1 points, 24.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists

Team: Boston Celtics

Record: 62-18 (first in NBA Eastern Division, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Sam Jones, John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn

Even without Bob Cousy, the Boston Celtics, still led by All-Everything center Bill Russell, were able to win a then-record 62 games during the 1964-1965 regular season. Obviously that was the best record in the league. The Los Angeles Lakers were second, a massive 13 games behind.

Russell picked up his fifth MVP award after leading the league in rebounding and playing stellar defense once more. Wilt Chamberlain was more impressive statistically, but Russell mattered more once again.

23. Michael Jordan (1997-1998)

Per Game Stats: 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.5 blocks

Team: Chicago Bulls

Record: 62-20 (first in NBA Central Division, first in Eastern Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc

Order was restored during the 1997-1998 season, as the greatest player to ever pick up a basketball won the MVP award for the fifth and final time in his career.

The Chicago Bulls finished atop the NBA yet again thanks to the excellent play of Michael Jordan. His stats took a slight dip, but they still were good enough for him to win another scoring title.

As blasphemous as this is to say, Jordan didn't actually didn't deserve this one, though.

David Robinson and Karl Malone were both better than Air Jordan, while Shaquille O'Neal put together a fairly comparable season.

22. Bob McAdoo (1974-1975)

Per Game Stats: 34.5 points, 14.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals, 2.1 blocks

Team: Buffalo Braves

Record: 49-33 (second in NBA Atlantic Division, third in Eastern Conference, third in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Randy Smith, Jack Marin, Gar Heard

Even without the help of too many big-name teammates, Bob McAdoo led his team to a pretty impressive record. Although 49-33 is good, it isn't anywhere near the level that a lot of other players' teams reached on this slideshow.

During most of his seasons in the NBA, McAdoo played with some incredible teammates, namely Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld. But not this year.

Even without too much help, McAdoo couldn't be stopped from the field during this campaign, leading the league in scoring at a 34.5 points per game clip.

21. Kobe Bryant (2007-2008)

Per Game Stats: 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 0.5 blocks

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 57-25 (first in NBA Pacific Division, first in Western Conference, third in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum

If Kobe Bryant was going to win one MVP award during his career, why did it have to be during this season?

After all, his supporting cast was much better with Pau Gasol on board after the trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, and Bryant had just come off a summer during which he publicly requested to be traded. Despite those two facts, Bryant was indeed the best player in basketball, as he was during a number of other seasons.

He finished second to LeBron James for the scoring crown but blew the King out of the water when it came to their respective teams' records. At the end of the day, not too much else matters when the stats are comparable.

20. Moses Malone (1982-1983)

Per Game Stats: 24.5 points, 15.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 steals, 2.0 blocks

Team: Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 65-17 (first in NBA Atlantic Division, first in Eastern Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Julius Erving, Maurice Cheeks, Andrew Toney, Bobby Jones

After the Houston Rockets traded away Moses Malone to the Philadelphia 76ers for Caldwell Jones and a first-round draft pick in the 1983 NBA draft, there was a new dominant team in the NBA.

Malone would go on to win another MVP, becoming the first and only player in the sport's history to win consecutive MVPs for different teams. His team, meanwhile, would sprint out to the best regular season record in the league and eventually take home the title.

This was the famed "Fo', fo', fo'" season, one marked by absolute dominance at the hands of Malone. He led the league in rebounding for the third straight season while finishing fifth in scoring despite the new stars he was playing with.

19. Magic Johnson (1989-1990)

Per Game Stats: 22.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 11.5 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.4 blocks

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 63-19 (first in NBA Pacific Division, first in Western Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: James Worthy, Byron Scott, A.C. Green

I do feel better about this year than some of the others in which Magic Johnson was named MVP, even though Michael Jordan still should have won the award.

Johnson, for the first time in his career, played without Kareem Abdul-Jabbar but didn't see his stats decline much at all. He finished second to John Stockton in assists once more while contributing across the board yet again. 

This season, though, the Los Angeles Lakers won 63 games and posted the best record in the entire NBA.

18. David Robinson (1994-1995)

Per Game Stats: 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.7 steals, 3.2 blocks

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Record: 62-20 (first in NBA Midwest Division, first in Western Conference, First in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Sean Elliot, Avery Johnson, Dennis Rodman

During this season, which was remarkable balanced at the top of the league, David Robinson led his San Antonio Spurs into battle and came out victorious a league-high 62 times without too much help joining him on the court.

The Admiral was just as good on defense as he was on offense and finished fourth in the league with 3.2 blocks per game while finishing third in the more glamorous points per game category, trailing only Shaquille O'Neal and Hakeem Olajuwon.

In this center-stacked league, Robinson stood the tallest and was a very deserving recipient of the MVP award.

17. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1976-1977)

Per Game Stats: 26.2 points, 13.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, 3.2 blocks

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 53-29 (first in NBA Pacific Division, first in Western Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Cazzie Russell, Lucius Allen

One season after missing the playoffs with a losing record (but somehow winning the MVP), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar added his fifth such award in 1976-1977 as he led the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA-best 53-29 record. Obviously they made the playoffs this year.

No one was even close to being as valuable as Abdul-Jabbar this season. He led the league in field-goal percentage, finished third in scoring and came in second in both rebounds and blocked shots. Most impressively, he did this on a remarkably untalented Lakers team, one where Cazzie Russell and Lucius Allen were the second- and third-best players.

16. Tim Duncan (2001-2002)

Per Game Stats: 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.7 steals, 2.5 blocks

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Record: 58-24 (first in NBA Midwest Division, second in Western Conference, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: David Robinson, Steve Smith, Malik Rose

This was officially the changing of the guard in San Antonio, as David Robinson was clearly on his last legs and Tim Duncan was in the process of establishing himself as the top power forward of the next decade.

Duncan and the Spurs posted the second-best record in the NBA, as the quiet, unassuming superstar scored a career-high 25.5 points per game, good enough to trail only Allen Iverson, Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady and Paul Pierce in the category. His 12.7 rebounds per game, though, fell short of only Ben Wallace.

With a subpar supporting cast, Duncan was still able to plow through opponents night after night.

15. Larry Bird (1984-1985)

Per Game Stats: 28.7 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.2 blocks

Team: Boston Celtics

Record: 63-19 (first in NBA Atlantic Division, first in Eastern Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson

The Boston Celtics and Larry Bird simultaneously improved during Larry Bird's second MVP-winning season. This was the year during which he had one of his most signature performances, scoring 60 points against the Atlanta Hawks, including a buzzer-beater at the very end of the game for his final two points.

Bird trailed only Bernard King in the scoring department, but his overall contributions beat out everyone else, even the up-and-coming young stud named Michael Jordan.

14. Kevin Garnett (2003-2004)

Per Game Stats: 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.5 steals, 2.2 blocks

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

Record: 58-24 (first in NBA Midwest Division, first in Western Conference, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell, Wally Szczerbiak

This was one of the rare times when Kevin Garnett's hard work and intensity during his tenure with the Minnesota Timberwolves truly paid great dividends for the current member of the Boston Celtics.

Garnett was surrounded with a lot of talent with the Wolves, who added both Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell during the offseason, and he managed to lead them to a 58-24 record, the second-best mark in the entire NBA.

The power forward was truly dominant on both ends of the court. He finished third in points per game while averaging an eye-popping 5.0 assists per game out of the paint. On defense, he was a stalwart down low and led the league in rebounding.

13. Oscar Robertson (1963-1964)

Per Game Stats: 31.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, 11.0 assists

Team: Cincinnati Royals

Record: 55-25 (second in NBA Eastern Division, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Jerry Lucas, Wayne Embry, Jack Twyman

Even though the Boston Celtics rose to the top of the regular season standings once more, the Cincinnati Royals were not too far behind thanks to the incredible contributions of do-everything guard Oscar Robertson.

While Robertson didn't post a triple-double in this season, as he did during his famous 1961-1962 season, he was damn close, averaging 31.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 11.0 assists per game. Jack McMahon was pacing the sidelines as the head coach for the first time, and Robertson had quite a few new teammates, but he was still able to lead his team to the second-best record in the NBA.

12. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1971-1972)

Per Game Stats: 34.8 points, 16.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists

Team: Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 63-19 (first in NBA Midwest Division, second in Western Conference, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Oscar Robertson, Bob Dandridge

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Milwaukee Bucks may only have had the second-best team in the NBA, but that's excusable since Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Jim McMillan, Happy Hairston and Elgin Baylor were all on the same squad.

While Oscar Robertson is an incredible player in his own right, this Bucks team would not have been at the same level without the services of Abdul-Jabbar, who led the league in scoring and finished third in rebounding. For the second straight season the big man dominated the league in the advanced metrics.

This is one of the greatest statistical seasons of all time without a doubt.

11. LeBron James (2009-2010)

Per Game Stats: 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.6 steals, 1.0 blocks

Team: Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 61-21 (first in NBA Central Division, first in Eastern Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Mo Williams, Antawn Jamison, Shaquille O'Neal

The Cleveland Cavaliers tried to appease LeBron James by adding Antawn Jamison and Shaquille O'Neal to the cause, but both were well past their primes and failed to leave a significant impact in Cavs history.

LeBron was essentially on his own for yet another season but still managed to carry his team to the best record in the NBA. He lost out on the scoring crown to Kevin Durant but contributed massively to his team's effort in all aspects of the game we love.

10. Wilt Chamberlain (1965-1966)

Per Game Stats: 33.5 points, 24.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists

Team: Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 55-25 (first in NBA Eastern Division, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham

Now that he was with the Philadelphia 76ers instead of the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, Wilt Chamberlain started to put up wins to go along with his otherworldly statistics in order to win the first of his three consecutive MVPs.

No one else should have even be considered for the award during the 1965-1966 season, as Chamberlain led his team (which was absolutely stacked) to the best record in the NBA, one game ahead of the Boston Celtics. Even more impressively, Chamberlain did this while the team was still recovering from the tragic loss of Ike Richman, the first owner of the 76ers.

9. Michael Jordan (1991-1992)

Per Game Stats: 30.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.9 blocks

Team: Chicago Bulls

Record: 67-15 (first in NBA Central Division, first in Eastern Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant

Even though Michael Jordan's stats declined from the 1990-1991 season to the 1991-1992 campaign, Jordan was even more of a team player and helped his Chicago Bulls post the best record in the entire NBA with 67 wins. However, that may have been due to the improvement of both Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant.

Shooting 52 percent from the field, Jordan was the most dominant player in basketball yet again. It would not be his last such season.

8. Shaquille O'Neal (1999-2000)

Per Game Stats: 29.7 points, 13.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.5 steals, 3.0 blocks

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Record: 67-15 (first in NBA Pacific Division, first in Western Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Kobe Bryant, Glen Rice

A young Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal took the league by storm, as they put together a 67-15 record and helped the Los Angeles Lakers win more games than any other team in the league. In the wake of O'Neal's last few subpar seasons, it's hard to remember just how dominant Shaq was during this time.

I'll help you out: He was unstoppable.

The Big Aristotle led the league in scoring, almost breaking through the 30-point barrier, and fell just shy of Dikembe Mutombo for the rebounding crown. His PER and Win Shares weren't even close to the rest of the players in the Association.

7. Lew Alcindor (1970-1971)

Per Game Stats: 31.7 points, 16.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists

Team: Milwaukee Bucks

Record: 66-16 (first in NBA Midwest Division, first in Western Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Oscar Robertson, Bob Dandridge

Before he changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lew Alcindor won his first MVP award during his second season in the NBA. He was statistically the most dominant player in the league, as he teamed up with new acquisition Oscar Robertson to win 14 games more than any other team in the Association.

Alcindor, who would become the league's all-time leading scorer, won his first scoring title this season and blew everyone out of the water when it came to advanced metrics. His 29.0 PER topped Jerry West's by 5.5, while his Win Shares total of 22.3 was 6.7 higher than anyone else's.

6. Michael Jordan (1987-1988)

Per Game Stats: 35.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 3.2 steals, 1.6 blocks

Team: Chicago Bulls

Record: 50-32 (second in NBA Central Division, third in Eastern Conference, seventh in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Sam Vincent, Charles Oakley

As the Chicago Bulls went from a 40-42 record to a 50-32 mark despite the supporting cast consisting of Sam Vincent, Charles Oakley and a bunch of other players, Michael Jordan made his biggest mark on the league yet at this point in his legendary career.

The greatest player of all time took home his first MVP award after leading the league with 35.0 points per game and dominating in all facets of the game. No one, not Larry Bird, not Charles Barkley, not Magic Johnson, not anyone, could match Jordan this season.

5. Bill Russell (1961-1962)

Per Game Stats: 18.9 points, 23.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists

Team: Boston Celtics

Record: 60-20 (first in NBA Eastern Division, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Tom Heinsohn, Sam Jones, Bob Cousy

While Wilt Chamberlain averaged 50.4 points and 25.6 rebounds per game during this season, including the famed 100-point game, Bill Russell's contributions on both the offensive and the defensive ends of the court were quite a bit more valuable, as he helped the Boston Celtics win 11 games more than any other team in the NBA.

No team had ever reached the 60-win mark before, but the Celtics were able to do so behind Russell's career-high 18.9 points per game. The only knock on this season is the fact that the center's teammates were so stellar. Without Russell, the Celtics would still have been a playoff team—just not the juggernaut they became with him.

4. Michael Jordan (1990-1991)

Per Game Stats: 31.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.7 steals, 1.0 blocks

Team: Chicago Bulls

Record: 61-21 (first in NBA Central Division, first in Eastern Conference, second in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant

Michael Jordan was here to stay at this point.

No. 23 led the league in scoring once more with 31.5 points per game as he picked up his second MVP award. One of the league's best defensive players yet again, Jordan did every single basketball-related thing well, even averaging 6.0 rebounds per game from the guard spot.

Only the Portland Trail Blazers, led by Clyde Drexler, were able to win more games than the Chicago Bulls during the 1990-1991 season.

3. Wilt Chamberlain (1966-1967)

Per Game Stats: 24.1 points, 24.2 rebounds, 7.8 assists

Team: Philadelphia 76ers

Record: 68-13 (first in NBA Eastern Division, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham

Somehow new head coach Alex Hannum got Wilt Chamberlain to act like, well, anyone but Wilt Chamberlain during the 1966-1967 season. Even though the two almost engaged in multiple fistfights, Hannum made Chamberlain a much better player, even though the stats don't make it seem that way.

Chamberlain not only became a good teammate, praising his fellow players left and right, but he also seemed content to play effective defense and team ball.

Chamberlain led the league in rebounding once more while increasing his assist total to allow Hal Greer, Chet Walker, Billy Cunningham and the others to get involved. Even though his scoring output took a nosedive, he shot an astounding 68.3 percent from the field.

The result was a 68-13 record that shattered the previous best record in NBA history.

2. LeBron James (2008-2009)

Per Game Stats: 28.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.7 steals, 1.1 blocks

Team: Cleveland Cavaliers

Record: 66-16 (first in NBA Central Division, first in Eastern Conference, first in NBA)

Notable Teammates: Mo Williams, Zydrunas Ilgauskas

Not many people, if any, had come this close to averaging a triple-double since Oscar Robertson became the only man to average one over the course of a season during the 1961-1962 campaign with the Milwaukee Bucks.

LeBron James was simply outstanding during the regular season of the 2008-2009 season. He led a Cleveland Cavaliers squad relatively devoid of talent to the best record in all of basketball while trailing only current teammate Dwyane Wade in points per game.

His PER of 31.7 and Win Shares of 20.3 were both unmatched, and only Wade came close to either. For anyone about to say that Wade should have taken home the prize, the shooting guard won 23 fewer games.

That PER, for the mathematically curious out there, is fourth on the single-season leaderboard. It trails just the marks left by Michael Jordan (1987-1988) and Wilt Chamberlain (1961-1962 and 1962-1963). Interestingly enough, neither of Chamberlain's seasons won him the MVP.

Now I understand that I'm probably going to take a lot of flak for having this season so high up in the rankings. Before you complain, take another look at the rest of the Cleveland roster, and then compare it to the ones of the teams in the slides immediately surrounding this one.

1. Michael Jordan (1995-1996)

Per Game Stats: 30.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.5 blocks

Team: Chicago Bulls

Record: 72-10 (first in NBA Central Division, first in Eastern Conference, first in NBA, first all-time)

Notable Teammates: Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc, Dennis Rodman

Michael Jordan came back with a vengeance during his 1995-1996 campaign alongside star teammates Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc and Dennis Rodman.

He led the league in scoring for what seemed like the millionth time in his career while maintaining his defensive reputation, rebounding prowess and all-around stellar play. Jordan finished tied atop the PER standings with David Robinson at 29.4 but did come out on top in the Win Shares metric.

However, that all pales in comparison to the NBA-record 72-10 mark that he and Bulls posted. You've probably noticed that quite a few of the MVPs played on teams with records that were first in the NBA in that respective year. However, no one has ever matched the 72 wins that Jordan was the most essential part of.

Adam Fromal is a syndicated writer and Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter.

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