Most NBA MVPs Ever: Complete Multiple-Winner List

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won the most NBA MVP awards, with six. Bill Russell and Michael Jordan are tied for second with five each. Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James follow with four.

This is the regular-season award, now represented by the Michael Jordan Trophy. It does not include Finals MVPs or All-Star Game MVPs. The table is current through the completed 2025-26 season, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won his second consecutive MVP.

NBA players with the most MVPs at a glance

Sixteen players have won the NBA regular-season MVP more than once. Rather than stopping at an arbitrary top 10 in the middle of a seven-way tie, this table includes every multiple winner.

The previous version of this page called a 10-row selection the “full leaderboard,” but seven players now share the 10th rank with two awards. Including all 16 multiple winners is clearer and avoids treating one member of that tie as more accomplished than another.

Why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s six is still the record

Kareem won his six MVPs across 10 seasons, from 1970-71 through 1979-80. Three came with the Milwaukee Bucks and three with the Los Angeles Lakers. That spread matters: it shows two distinct phases of dominance rather than one short burst.

He won his first two in consecutive seasons, added another two years later, then won back-to-back awards in 1975-76 and 1976-77 before collecting No. 6 in 1979-80. The record has survived the full careers of Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan and many other era-defining players.

Kareem’s total is one measure of sustained regular-season value. It is not the same as holding the NBA career scoring record, which LeBron James now owns, or winning the most championships.

Who has the best chance to climb the list?

The completed 2025-26 season changed the modern picture. Gilgeous-Alexander joined the multiple-winner group, while Jokic finished second in the voting.

That arithmetic is simple; predicting future winners is not. The award recognizes one regular season at a time, and age, availability, team performance and competition all affect the vote. Jokic is closest among the active stars still regularly appearing near the top of the ballot, but saying he will catch Kareem would go beyond the evidence.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s repeat is significant on its own. The NBA lists him as the 14th player to win consecutive MVPs. It also extends a run in which an international-born player has won every MVP from 2018-19 through 2025-26.

Who won three straight NBA MVPs?

Only three players have won the regular-season award in three consecutive years:

No one has won four consecutive NBA MVPs. Kareem’s six were spread out, Jordan never won more than two consecutively, and LeBron won four within five seasons but lost the 2010-11 award to Derrick Rose.

This is another reason the youngest winner record is interesting: starting early creates more theoretical opportunities, but even the players on our youngest NBA MVP list had to sustain a full season and beat a new field every year.

Regular-season MVP vs Finals MVP

Search results and fan graphics often combine awards that answer different questions. They should be counted separately.

Jordan therefore has five regular-season MVPs and six Finals MVPs. Adding them to call him an 11-time “NBA MVP” changes the meaning of the statistic. Finals MVP also requires reaching the Finals, while regular-season MVP voting is completed on the basis of the regular season.

Team accomplishment is another separate measure. Bill Russell’s five MVPs sit beside a record 11 championships as a player, but those rings belong on the NBA championships by player leaderboard, not in his MVP count.

How NBA MVP voting works

For the 2025-26 award, the NBA used a global panel of 100 media members and published the ballots and point totals. Gilgeous-Alexander finished first, followed by Jokic and Victor Wembanyama.

The voting system has not been identical throughout the award’s history. The media era began in 1980-81; earlier winners were selected under the player-vote system. That does not invalidate Kareem’s or Russell’s trophies, but it is useful context when comparing totals across seven decades.

There is no fixed statistical formula for “most valuable.” Team record, individual production, efficiency, defense, availability and the strength of rival seasons can all influence voters. This is why an MVP count is evidence of repeated excellence, not a mathematical ranking of the greatest NBA players ever.

Does voter fatigue change MVP totals?

Fans frequently use “voter fatigue” to explain why Jordan, LeBron, Jokic or Giannis did not win in another strong season. The concern is understandable: a familiar candidate may feel less novel than a challenger with a new story.

But voter fatigue should not be presented as a proven explanation for every close result. Public discussions contain a strong contrary view: when the losing candidate’s team record, availability or season-specific case is examined, the winner often has a defensible argument. Different voters can weigh the same season differently without conspiring to spread awards around.

The responsible conclusion is narrower. MVP totals record actual voting outcomes. They do not tell us who was informally considered the league’s best player, who had the best playoffs or who would have won under a different era’s electorate. For career evaluation, MVPs work best alongside championships, Finals performance, All-NBA selections and longevity, including milestones such as career All-Star appearances.

The record after the 2025-26 season

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar remains alone at the top with six regular-season MVPs. Russell and Jordan have five, Chamberlain and LeBron have four, and four players have three.

The newest change is Gilgeous-Alexander’s second award. He now shares 10th place with six other two-time winners, bringing the complete multiple-winner group to 16 players. The next scheduled update is due when the NBA announces the 2026-27 MVP.