NBA
How is the 2023 NBA Finals MVP selected? Who votes?
A distinguished panel of eleven media members is entrusted with the responsibility of determining the deserving recipient of this prestigious award.
The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, previously called the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, is a highly respected annual recognition awarded by the National Basketball Association (NBA) since 1969. After the Finals, a select group of eleven media members come together to decide who is most deserving of the award.
At first, the award had a black trophy with a golden sphere shaped like a basketball on top, resembling the famous Larry O’Brien Trophy. But 2005, a new trophy was created to honor the great Bill Russell. The updated design still reflects Russell’s incredible impact on the sport.
NBA:
During the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, the NBA Commissioner at the time, David Stern, revealed that the award would be renamed the “Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award” to honor the legendary player. Russell, who has an impressive 11 NBA championship wins, is a remarkable figure in the sport, and this modification was a fitting tribute to his illustrious career.
After the conclusion of the Finals, the panel convenes to cast their votes based on various factors, including individual statistics, impact on team success, leadership qualities, and overall performance on the grand stage. Each panel member assigns a specific number of votes to the player they believe is most deserving of the MVP title.
The player who accumulates the highest number of votes from the panel members is crowned the NBA Finals MVP.
The NBA Finals has seen some remarkable achievements in its history, with Magic Johnson standing out as the only rookie ever to win the coveted award. He accomplished this at 20 years and 276 days old, making him the youngest recipient. On the other hand, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the oldest player to seize the award in 1985, at 38 years and 54 days old. Andre Iguodala is the only recipient not to start every game in the series, adding an intriguing twist to his triumph. Jerry West is also a true trailblazer, winning the inaugural year’s award in 1969 despite being on the losing team, making him the sole individual in history to achieve such a remarkable feat and leaving an indelible mark on the league’s lore.