NBA Finals MVP voting, explained: Who votes, process, complete winners list and more for prestigious award

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, LeBron James — the list of NBA Finals MVPs is one filled with legendary names. Of course, there are also some unlikely Finals heroes who have won the award, including Cedric Maxwell and Andre Iguodala.

Basketball fans may be wondering how the league determines which player receives the Finals MVP trophy, particularly with some controversial calls over the years. It's actually quite a straightforward process, but it's also one that can create a stir.

Here's what you need to know about the history of the NBA Finals MVP award and who makes the decisions. 

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Who votes on NBA Finals MVP?

The NBA Finals MVP award has been handed out each year since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award winner is chosen by a panel of 11 media members. They cast their votes immediately after the last game of the series concludes, and the player with the highest vote total wins the award.

NBA Finals MVP voting results example

Back in 2015, Iguodala won the Finals MVP award after the Warriors defeated LeBron James and the Cavaliers, a result that still sparks debates among fans and media members to this day.

Some critics argued that Stephen Curry deserved to win the award, but he didn't receive a single vote.

Here is a breakdown of the results:

• Hubie Brown (then with ESPN) — Iguodala
• Sam Amick (then of USA Today) — Iguodala
• Ken Berger (then of CBSSports.com) — Iguodala
• Jason Lloyd (then of the Akron Beacon Journal) — Iguodala
• Marc Spears (then of Yahoo Sports) — Iguodala
• Marc Stein (then of ESPN.com) — Iguodala
• Rusty Simmons (then with the San Francisco Chronicle) — Iguodala
• Jeff Van Gundy (then with ESPN) — James
• Zach Lowe (then of Grantland) — James
• Steve Aschburner (NBA.com) — James
• Howard Beck (then with Bleacher Report) — James
• Totals: Iguodala (7), James (4)

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Full list of NBA Finals MVP award winners

Jordan owns the record for most Finals MVP awards in league history with six. James is next in line behind Jordan with four Finals MVP trophies. He is the only player who has won the award with three different franchises (Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers).

Celtics guard Jaylen Brown is the most recent winner of the award, edging out Jayson Tatum for the Bill Russell Finals MVP Trophy after Boston rolled past the Mavericks to win the championship in 2024. 

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