NBA history has given us some unforgettable MVP battles—Shaq vs. Nash, Harden vs. Giannis, Rose vs. LeBron, and the legendary Bird vs. Magic rivalry. These intense matchups are a testament to the NBA being the most competitive league in professional sports.

Even now, certain MVP awards remain hot topics of debate among basketball analysts. These races are always fierce, often sparking controversy that lingers for years.

5 Best NBA MVP Races

1989-90 – Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley And Michael Jordan

The 1989-90 MVP race was not only the closest in NBA history but also the strangest. Charles Barkley received 11 more first-place votes than Magic Johnson yet lost the award, making him the only player ever to miss out despite leading in first-place votes. He finished 22 points behind Johnson, while Michael Jordan placed third, trailing by 72 votes.

Barkley led the 76ers to a top Eastern Conference record, averaging 25.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 1.9 steals. Still, voters favored Johnson’s 22.3 points and 11.5 assists, especially with the Lakers finishing with the NBA’s best record.

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Jordan, meanwhile, dominated with 33.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists, leading the league in scoring and guiding the Bulls to the East’s second-best record behind the champion Pistons.
Barkley finally won MVP in 1992-93, while Jordan went on to claim five, the second most ever.

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Celtics Lab NBA Basketball Podcast

A deep dive into the deep rotation’s Stay Ready Crew with Noa Dalzell

The Boston Celtics have by most accounts the best top six players in the entire NBA to match their league-best regular season record. So, it can be easy to forget about the rest of the team. The so-called “Stay Ready Crew” mostly does just that — keep themselves in the right frame of mind and state of health in case their number is called. And those numbers do get called, with players like Oshae Brissett and Lamar Stevens bringing energy and matchup-dependent options that have sparked wins for Boston, while the sharpshooting duo of Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser wreak havoc on opposing defenses. And if it were not for the likes of Luke Kornet and Neemias Queta defying expectations as reserve big men, you can be sure there would be less wins to the Celtics’ name this season. Which players matter most to the team’s title aspirations? Which might be on the move ahead of the 2024 NBA trade deadline? What talent does Boston have in the pipeline in Maine? And who will see the floor in the postseason? To answer all of these key questions not quite getting the attention they deserve, the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with Celtics Blog’s Noa Dalzell. The self-proclaimed Boston bench beat reporter who has a bead on a certain crew that stays ready, join us in a deep dive into the Celtics’ reserves. The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by FanDuel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Celtics Lab NBA Basketball Podcast

CL Pod 030: Changing The Guard, The Rules, Maybe Even The League

In the darkest heart of the offseason, we’ve found some compelling basketball issues to talk about. This week, Justin Quinn and Topher Lane get into a host of topics, ranging from Jaylen Brown’s stellar outing at this year’s Africa Game to which rookies look ready for prime-time, and what changes we’d like to see in the league as a whole. So, put down the kleenex and stop mourning our beloved sport’s seasonal demise, and dive into this pod with us. We had to fight the basketball gods a little to get it to happen, so forgive some minor glitchiness, we think you’ll enjoy this week’s pod even with the struggle.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/celtics-lab-nba-basketball-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celtics Lab NBA Basketball Podcast

What went wrong in Game 1 for Boston, and what we’ll see in Game 2 to fix it with Barry Ebua

The Boston Celtics dropped Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Philadelphia 76ers 119-115 despite Sixers big man Joel Embiid missing the game due to a sprained knee. The win came from a career playoff-high outing from James Harden, who shined in Embiid’s absence with the Celtics struggling to adjust their defense to stop him. What went wrong for Boston? Who could have done a better job on the court or behind the clipboard? How worried should we be about Game 2? Will Embiid be able to play in it, or can we expect more small-ball Sixers wreaking havoc on the Celtics’ defense? To take stock of the loss and talk about what might be coming for Game 2, the hosts of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast sat down with “Pro Fan Sports” podcast host Barry Ebua. After, we hear from Cameron Tabatabaie live from TD Garden to relay what head coach Joe Mazzulla and Boston’s players had to say in light of the loss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celtics Lab NBA Basketball Podcast

Why Boston is probably not making big moves at the deadline with Yossi Gozlan

With the Boston Celtics rolling and their path to hanging Banner 18 looking more possible than it has in many years, you can’t fault fans of the storied ball club for hoping for a reunion with former Boston big men Daniel Theis or Kelly Olynyk. Or failing that, team president Brad Stevens getting a deal done for rumored target Isaiah Stewart to fortify the team’s frontcourt. But even fairly modest trades like these are probably not in the cards for the Celtics this season, who can’t follow through with an offer that makes sense given the exigencies of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement or the team’s current structure. But the team will almost certainly make at least a few lesser moves to get better ahead of the NBA’s 2024 trade deadline in Early February, so the hosts of CLNS Media’s “Celtics Lab” podcast linked up with Cap Sheets’ Yossi Gozlan to try to project what it is Boston actually will end up doing. We also get into why those fun but unrealistic deals bringing back Celtics alumni or Beef Stew are unlikely or impossible, and get caught up on the last Boston news of 2023. The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by FanDuel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Also Read: Shaq Says Kobe Is Being Disrespected In The LeBron vs. Jordan Debate

1996-97 – Karl Malone And Michael Jordan

The 1996-97 season saw a fierce battle between the Bulls and Jazz, both boasting the NBA’s best records. Their stars, Michael Jordan and Karl Malone, also went head-to-head for MVP honors.

Malone edged out Jordan by 29 votes—the second-closest race ever—to claim his first MVP. He averaged 27.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. Jordan, who led the league with 29.6 points per game, also posted 5.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.7 steals but fell short of winning back-to-back MVPs.

Jordan later took home the 1997-98 MVP, but before that, he got his revenge in the Finals. The Bulls defeated the Jazz in six games, with Jordan delivering his legendary flu game.

2004-05 – Steve Nash And Shaquille O’Neal

The 2004-05 MVP race featured two stars who joined new teams. Steve Nash returned to the Suns, who drafted him in 1996, while Shaquille O’Neal left the Lakers after a trade to Miami.

Nash won his first MVP, averaging 15.5 points and 11.5 assists. He edged out Shaq by seven first-place votes and 34 overall. Despite leading the Heat to the East’s best record with 22.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks, Shaq fell short. Nash won another MVP in 2005-06, while Shaq’s lone MVP came in 1999-00.

Also Read: Shaquille O’Neal Makes Bold Case For Why Stephen Curry Belongs In The GOAT Conversation

1998-99 – Karl Malone, Alonzo Mourning And Tim Duncan

Karl Malone’s second MVP in the 1998-99 season was another tight race, this time against Alonzo Mourning and Tim Duncan.

That season was shortened to 50 games due to a lockout, and Malone averaged 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists over 49 games. He won the award by 54 votes over Mourning and 87 over Duncan.

Mourning, with career-best numbers of 20.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 3.9 blocks in 46 games, fell short. Duncan, in his second year, posted 21.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks, leading the Spurs to the NBA’s best record.

Mourning never won an MVP, but Duncan secured back-to-back awards in 2001-02 and 2002-03 while also leading San Antonio to its first title in 1998-99.

2001-02 – Tim Duncan And Jason Kidd

The 2001-02 MVP race was a close battle between Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd. Duncan led the Spurs to the NBA’s second-best record, trailing only the Kings, while Kidd guided the Nets to the East’s top spot.

Duncan secured his first of back-to-back MVPs, winning by 57 votes after averaging 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks over 82 games.

Kidd, who posted 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 9.9 assists, fell short in both the MVP race and the Finals, where the Lakers swept the Nets. Though he never won MVP, he later claimed a championship with Dallas in 2010-11.

Also Read: From High School To NBA Stardom: Top 5 Greatest Prep-To-Pro Players In History