The two awards are often confused, but the window is different: the regular-season MVP (MVP) covers all 82 games; the Finals MVP (FMVP) covers only the Finals series.
Key differences
- Scope: MVP = the whole regular season; FMVP = at most seven Finals games.
- Voters: MVP is voted by the full media corps; FMVP by the Finals-traveling panel.
- Sample size: a player can be best over 82 games yet quiet in the Finals, and vice versa.
Players who won both in the same year
Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan have swept both in the same season, yet many years they went to different players — the perennial debate every June.
| Year | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Willis Reed | New York Knicks |
| 1971 | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 1983 | Moses Malone | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1984 | 拉里·伯德 | Boston Celtics |
| 1986 | 拉里·伯德 | Boston Celtics |
| 1987 | 魔术师约翰逊 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 1991 | 迈克尔·乔丹 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1992 | 迈克尔·乔丹 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1994 | Hakeem Olajuwon | Houston Rockets |
| 1996 | 迈克尔·乔丹 | Chicago Bulls |
| 1998 | 迈克尔·乔丹 | Chicago Bulls |
| 2000 | 沙奎尔·奥尼尔 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2003 | 蒂姆·邓肯 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 2012 | 勒布朗·詹姆斯 | Miami Heat |
| 2013 | 勒布朗·詹姆斯 | Miami Heat |
| 2025 | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder |
Note: the table lists seasons where a player won both the regular-season MVP and the Finals MVP. Jordan also won Finals MVP in 1993 and 1997 without the regular-season MVP; Kobe (2009/2010) and Curry (2022) won Finals MVP in years the regular-season MVP went to someone else.
Why they are often not the same person?
The regular-season MVP rewards consistency; the Finals MVP rewards the “closing burst.” A regular-season MVP can be neutralized in the Finals, leaving the award to a teammate or the opposing star who shone brightest. For example, in 2022 the regular-season MVP was Nikola Jokić (Nuggets, eliminated in round one) while the Finals MVP went to Stephen Curry (Warriors, champions); in 2023 the regular-season MVP Joel Embiid (76ers) and the Finals MVP Jokić (Nuggets) were also different players.
Related: All-time Finals MVP list · How the Finals MVP is chosen