[OC} Greatest Players to Never Win an MVP - Updated!
It’s been 6 years since I created this post breaking down the greatest NBA players to never win an MVP:
https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/djpwj7/oc_the_greatest_players_to_never_win_an_mvp_a/
I felt like it was time to revisit and update the list as this sub has grown massively since then. The methodology is simple, I took every player who has finished in the top 10 of regular season MVP voting at least 4 times since the first MVP was awarded in 1956 (the original post only went back to 1980). I put the cut off at 4 top 10 finishes because I think that strikes the right balance in capturing consistency/longevity.
Point Breakdown
2nd - 25 points
3rd - 18 points
4th - 15 points
5th - 10 points
6th - 8 points
7th - 6 points
8th - 4 points
9th - 2 points
10th - 1 point
I reworked the point system to more or less reflect Formula 1 style scoring, which awards more points for higher places. Tiebreakers are determined by who had the higher placed finish in their respective careers (or more of them). If that is also tied then it’s determined by if the player is still active.
For context, this list is not a definitive measure of the best player, it awards longevity and consistency more than a player’s peak - but I still think it’s a fun exercise in understanding how impactful and great some of these players were - a few of the results are genuinely surprising, and either help further narratives or break them down.
I think it’s also a cool way to era-correct certain players to help put into perspective how they were perceived at the time they played. Two examples I can point out are Carmelo Anthony and Dominique Wilkins. For starters, Anthony isn’t even on the list, he only has 2 top 10 finishes in his career which was wild to me when I originally did this because I assumed he had AT LEAST 4, and ‘Nique is top 10 in this list when I think the modern, general perception, is that he was a glorified dunker who couldn’t cut it in Jordan’s era (generalizing obviously!) - but in reality, voters clearly held him in high regard throughout his career.
I removed my commentary for each player from the original post to make this an easier read and let the results speak for themselves!
MVP Voting Score = 13
Top 10 finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 13
Top 10 finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 14
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 18
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 24
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 29
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 30
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 35
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 36
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 37
To 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 37
To 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 38
To 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 39
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 40
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 43
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Points = 43
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 45
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 46
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 46
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 50
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 53
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 55
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 56
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 56
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 57
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 57
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 57
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 62
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 66
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 71
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 79
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 88
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 108
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 122
Top 10 Finishes:
MVP Voting Score = 156
Top 10 Finishes:
In the end, West still remains far ahead and will likely never be caught, which I guess is a good thing? I mean Luka’s career would have to take a serious turn if he never ends up with an MVP (although I could see it happening to Tatum…maybe?). Also, kind of crazy to believe that Chris Paul ended up with 3 more top 10 finishes when 6 years ago he was 34 in what I thought was the twilight of his career - legend.
Last thought - Baylor’s inclusion on the list this time around gives even another layer of appreciation to the Celtics run. For the 8 years between 1962-69 when the Lakers had Baylor and West as teammates, two top 5 guys year after year, and they ended up with nothing to show for it and the Celtics won 7 of 8 championships (10 of 11 dating back to 1959)….yikes!
Anyway, hope you enjoyed the read, interested to hear your takes and comments about what surprised you the most.