how to be a basketball mvp

The term MVP is associated with the best basketball players in the history of the game. When you win the Most Valuable Player award, you are voted the top individual honor a player can win in professional basketball. However, the award is not without some controversy. Is the Most Valuable Players also the league's best player? Some award voters think it is, and others think it isn't.

Regular-season Award

The Most Valuable Player award is based on regular-season play. The award is voted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters who have covered the league on a regular basis. These media members have to turn in their ballots at the end of the regular season before any playoff games have been played. Sportswriters and broadcasters have voted for the award since the 1980-81 season. Prior to that year, NBA players voted for the award themselves.

Maurice Podoloff Award

The NBA awards a trophy to the winner called the Maurice Podoloff Award. Podoloff was the president of the NBA from 1946 until he retired in 1963. Prior to becoming the league's initial president, Podoloff had held a similar position in the American Hockey League. Under Podoloff's leadership, the NBA grew to 17 teams and introduced the player draft as an organized way to add talent to each team.

Honor Goes to Players from Winning Teams

There is often an argument among basketball fans and media members about the true meaning of the term Most Valuable Player. Some believe it is simply recognition of the most talented performer in the league. Others look at the award as the player who makes his team better by his all-around talent as a scorer, defender, rebounder and passer. The most common belief is that the MVP award has to go to a player from a strong contender for the championship. Great players on losing teams have a difficult time proving their value because the team could still have a losing record without that player. The NBA has awarded its MVP award every season since 1955-56. Bob Petit of the St.Louis Hawks won the initial award. The Hawks finished with a 33-39 record that season. No player on a team with a losing record has won the MVP since that season.

MVP Honor Roll

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the Most Valuable Player award six times during his career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. Michael Jordan won the award five times as a member of the Chicago Bulls, and Bill Russell won the honor five times with the Boston Celtics. Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and Russell each won the award three consecutive times.