NBA MVP Race: Odds, winners, trophy, when is it awarded?

We cover all you need to know about the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award, including the latest odds, past winners, when the award is announced, and more.

2024/25 NBA MVP Odds

Luka Doncic	+340
Nikola Jokic	+400
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander	+400
Giannis Antetokounmpo	+800
Anthony Edwards	+1200
Jalen Brunson	+1400
Jayson Tatum	+1400
Joel Embiid	+1600
Victor Wembanyama	+2000

Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is the favorite to win MVP at +340 entering the 2024/25 regular season. He has yet to win an NBA MVP Award, but he'll enter the 2024/25 season motivated after he and the Mavericks lost to the Boston Celtics in five games in the 2024 NBA Finals.

Doncic finished third in MVP voting in 2023/24, and he averaged career-highs in points (33.9), assists (9.8), free-throw percentage (78.6) and three-point percentage (38.2).

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Denver Nuggets center and reigning MVP Nikola Jokic are tied for second in the market.

Jokic has won MVP three times already, and a fourth would mean he has the same number of MVPs as LeBron James and Wilt Chamberlain, who are tied for the third-most in NBA history. Last season, Jokic won it with per-game averages of 26.4 points, career-high 12.4 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.9 blocks while shooting 58.3 percent from the field.

SGA finished second in last year's MVP voting, his first time as a top-three finalist, and he averaged 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.9 blocks and 2.2 turnovers while shooting 53.5 percent from the field and 87.4 percent from the free-throw line.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is next in the odds. The Greek Freak won consecutive MVPs in 2018/19 and 2019/20, and he has finished in the top five of the voting every year since. Last year, averaged over 30 points for the second time, and he averaged a career-high 6.5 assists.

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards is fifth in the market at +1200. He developed into a superstar in 2023/24, finishing seventh in MVP voting with averages of 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists as the T-Wolves finished third in the West.

Further back in the odds, between 14/1 and 20/1, are New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum, Philadelphia 76ers center and 2022/23 MVP Joel Embiid, and San Antonio Spurs 7-foot-4 second-year sensation Victor Wembanyama.

NBA MVP Winners by Year

Year	Player	Position	Team
2023/24	Nikola Jokić	Center	Denver Nuggets
2022/23	Joel Embiid	Center	Philadelphia 76ers
2021/22	Nikola Jokić	Center	Denver Nuggets
2020/21	Nikola Jokić	Center	Denver Nuggets
2019/20	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Power forward	Milwaukee Bucks
2018/19	Giannis Antetokounmpo	Power forward	Milwaukee Bucks
2017/18	James Harden	Shooting guard	Houston Rockets
2016/17	Russell Westbrook	Point guard	Oklahoma City Thunder
2015/16	Stephen Curry	Point guard	Golden State Warriors
2014/15	Stephen Curry	Point guard	Golden State Warriors
2013/14	Kevin Durant	Small forward	Oklahoma City Thunder
2012/13	LeBron James	Small forward	Miami Heat
2011/12	LeBron James	Small forward	Miami Heat
2010/11	Derrick Rose	Point guard	Chicago Bulls
2009/10	LeBron James	Small forward	Cleveland Cavaliers
2008/09	LeBron James	Small forward	Cleveland Cavaliers
2007/08	Kobe Bryant	Shooting guard	Los Angeles Lakers
2006/07	Dirk Nowitzki	Power forward	Dallas Mavericks
2005/06	Steve Nash	Point guard	Phoenix Suns
2004/05	Steve Nash	Point guard	Phoenix Suns
2003/04	Kevin Garnett	Power forward	Minnesota Timberwolves
2002/03	Tim Duncan	Power forward	San Antonio Spurs
2001/02	Tim Duncan	Power forward	San Antonio Spurs
2000/01	Allen Iverson	Shooting guard	Philadelphia 76ers
1999/00	Shaquille O'Neal	Center	Los Angeles Lakers
1998/99	Karl Malone	Power forward	Utah Jazz
1997/98	Michael Jordan	Shooting guard	Chicago Bulls
1996/97	Karl Malone	Power forward	Utah Jazz
1995/96	Michael Jordan	Shooting guard	Chicago Bulls
1994/95	David Robinson	Center	San Antonio Spurs
1993/94	Hakeem Olajuwon	Center	Houston Rockets
1992/93	Charles Barkley	Power forward	Phoenix Suns
1991/92	Michael Jordan	Shooting guard	Chicago Bulls
1990/91	Michael Jordan	Shooting guard	Chicago Bulls
1989/90	Magic Johnson	Point guard	Los Angeles Lakers
1988/89	Magic Johnson	Point guard	Los Angeles Lakers
1987/88	Michael Jordan	Shooting guard	Chicago Bulls
1986/87	Magic Johnson	Point guard	Los Angeles Lakers
1985/86	Larry Bird	Small forward	Boston Celtics
1984/85	Larry Bird	Small forward	Boston Celtics
1983/84	Larry Bird	Small forward	Boston Celtics
1982/83	Moses Malone	Center	Philadelphia 76ers
1981/82	Moses Malone	Center	Houston Rockets
1980/81	Julius Erving	Small forward	Philadelphia 76ers
1979/80	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Center	Los Angeles Lakers
1978/79	Moses Malone	Center	Houston Rockets
1977/78	Bill Walton	Center	Portland Trail Blazers
1976/77	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Center	Los Angeles Lakers
1975/76	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Center	Los Angeles Lakers
1974/75	Bob McAdoo	Center	Buffalo Braves
1973/74	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Center	Milwaukee Bucks
1972/73	Dave Cowens	Center	Boston Celtics
1971/72	Kareem Abdul-Jabbar	Center	Milwaukee Bucks
1970/71	Lew Alcindor	Center	Milwaukee Bucks
1969/70	Willis Reed	Center	New York Knicks
1968/69	Wes Unseld	Center	Baltimore Bullets
1967/68	Wilt Chamberlain	Center	Philadelphia 76ers
1966/67	Wilt Chamberlain	Center	Philadelphia 76ers
1965/66	Wilt Chamberlain	Center	Philadelphia 76ers
1964/65	Bill Russell	Center	Boston Celtics
1963/64	Oscar Robertson	Point guard	Cincinnati Royals
1962/63	Bill Russell	Center	Boston Celtics
1961/62	Bill Russell	Center	Boston Celtics
1960/61	Bill Russell	Center	Boston Celtics
1959/60	Wilt Chamberlain	Center	Philadelphia Warriors
1958/59	Bob Pettit	Power forward	St. Louis Hawks
1957/58	Bill Russell	Center	Boston Celtics
1956/57	Bob Cousy	Point guard	Boston Celtics
1955/56	Bob Pettit	Power forward	St. Louis Hawks

NBA MVP announcement

The NBA MVP award is typically announced in May, after the regular season has ended and the playoffs have begun. However, there is no set date for the announcement, and the NBA may change the date each year.

For example, in 2023, the MVP award was announced on May 2 and in 2024, it was announced on May 8.

NBA MVP voting

The NBA MVP award is voted on by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Each voter casts a first-place ballot for their choice for MVP, a second-place ballot, and so on. The player with the most first-place votes wins the award.

NBA MVP trophy 

The NBA's Most Valuable Player receives the Michael Jordan Trophy. Named after five-time MVP Michael Jordan, the trophy was newly designed and named in 2022.

The bronze trophy stands 23.6 inches tall and weighs 23.6 pounds, representing Jordan’s jersey number (23) and the number of NBA titles he won (6).

Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.