TOP 5 FINISHES IN MVP VOTING, 1956-2002 ---------------------------------------- note: only top 2 available for 1977 and #4 is not available for 1979 (the two lists below are compiled from 1956-1999 data at: http://members.aol.com/apbrhist/nbamvps.html and 2000-2001 data from Patricia Bender's site: http://www.dfw.net/~patricia/index.html An Excel spreadsheet I made with the vote totals for the top 5 Can be found at: http://www.sportsstats.com/bball/NBA/mvps.xls) Top 5 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Player Years ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 6 1 2 3 2 Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem 70-78,80,81,84-86 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 5 2 2 2 0 Russell, Bill 58-67, 69 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 5 3 2 0 0 Jordan, Michael 87-93,96-98 10 4 2 1 2 1 Chamberlain, Wilt 60-62,64-68,72,73 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9 3 4 1 1 0 Bird, Larry 80-88 9 3 2 4 0 0 Johnson, Magic 83-91 9 2 1 2 3 1 Malone, Karl 89-92,95,97-00 9 1 1 3 1 3 Robertson, Oscar 61-68,71 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 2 2 1 3 0 Pettit, Bob 56-61,63,64 8 0 4 1 0 3 West, Jerry 62-66,70-72 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7 0 1 3 1 2 Baylor, Elgin 59-63,68,69 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 1 1 2 2 0 O'Neal, Shaquille 94,95,98,00-02 6 1 1 0 2 2 Olajuwon, Hakeem 86,89,93-96 6 0 0 0 3 3 Ewing, Patrick 89,90,92-95 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 3 0 1 1 0 Malone, Moses 79,81-83,85 5 1 2 2 0 0 Robinson, David 91,92,94-96 5 1 1 1 0 2 Duncan, Tim 98-02 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 1 1 0 2 0 Barkley, Charles 88,90,91,93 4 1 1 1 1 0 Cowens, Dave 73-76 4 1 1 1 0 1 Erving, Julius 80-83 4 1 0 1 2 0 Cousy, Bob 56,57,59,60 4 0 2 1 0 1 Gervin, George 78-81 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 1 2 0 0 0 McAdoo, Bob 74-76 3 1 1 0 1 0 Reed, Willis 69-71 3 0 0 2 0 1 Hayes, Elvin 74,75,79 3 0 1 1 0 1 Arizin, Paul 56,57,59 3 0 1 0 0 2 Schayes, Dolph 56-58 3 0 1 0 0 2 Wilkins, Dominique 86,87,93 3 0 0 0 2 1 Barry, Rick 67,75,76 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 1 1 0 0 0 Walton, Bill 77,78 2 1 0 0 1 0 Iverson, Allen 99,01 2 0 1 1 0 0 Mourning, Alonzo 99,00 2 0 1 0 0 1 Drexler, Clyde 88,92 2 0 1 0 0 1 Garnett, Kevin 00,01 2 0 1 0 0 1 Kidd, Jason 99,02 2 0 0 1 1 0 Bing, Dave 68,71 2 0 0 1 1 0 Yardley, George 57,58 2 0 0 1 0 1 Archibald, Nate 73,80 2 0 0 1 0 1 Cunningham, Billy 69,70 2 0 0 1 0 1 Pippen, Scottie 94,96 2 0 0 0 1 1 Havlicek, John 72,73 2 0 0 0 1 1 Jones, Sam 65,66 2 0 0 0 0 2 Stokes, Maurice 57,58 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1 1 0 0 0 0 Unseld, Wes 69 1 0 1 0 0 0 King, Bernard 84 1 0 1 0 0 0 Thurmond, Nate 67 1 0 1 0 0 0 Wilkens, Lenny 68 1 0 0 1 0 0 Hardaway, Anfernee 96 1 0 0 1 0 0 Hill, Grant 97 1 0 0 1 0 0 Lanier, Bob 74 1 0 0 1 0 0 Payton, Gary 98 1 0 0 1 0 0 Thompson, David 78 1 0 0 0 1 0 Frazier, Walt 70 1 0 0 0 1 0 Hardaway, Tim 97 1 0 0 0 1 0 Hutchins, Mel 56 1 0 0 0 1 0 McGrady, Tracy 02 1 0 0 0 1 0 McHale, Kevin 87 1 0 0 0 1 0 Moncrief, Sidney 83 1 0 0 0 1 0 Parish, Robert 82 1 0 0 0 1 0 Webber, Chris 01 1 0 0 0 0 1 Bryant, Kobe 02 1 0 0 0 0 1 Cummings, Terry 85 1 0 0 0 0 1 Dandridge, Bob 79 1 0 0 0 0 1 Davis, Walter 78 1 0 0 0 0 1 Hawkins, Connie 70 1 0 0 0 0 1 Haywood, Spencer 72 1 0 0 0 0 1 Johnson, Dennis 80 1 0 0 0 0 1 Lucas, Jerry 66 1 0 0 0 0 1 McGinnis, George 76 1 0 0 0 0 1 Rice, Glen 97 1 0 0 0 0 1 Sharman, Bill 56 1 0 0 0 0 1 Thomas, Isiah 84 1 0 0 0 0 1 Williams, Gus 82 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- FIVE OR MORE CONSECUTIVE SEASONS IN THE TOP 5 IN NBA MVP VOTING ---------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Bill Russell 1958-1967 9 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1970-1978 (note: becomes 12 if he placed in 1979) 9 Larry Bird 1980-88 9 Magic Johnson 1983-91 8 Oscar Robertson 1961-68 7 Michael Jordan 1987-93 6 Bob Pettit 1956-61 5 Tim Duncan 1998-02 5 Wilt Chamberlain 1964-68 5 Jerry West 1962-66 5 Elgin Baylor 1959-63 note: the following players could be added to this list IF the missing positions for 1977 and 1979 turn up AND they're on them: 4 George Gervin 78-81 [needs 77] 4 Julius Erving 80-83 [needs 79] 4 Dave Cowens 73-76 [needs 77]