Best NBA Player ESPY Award

The Best NBA Player ESPY Award is an award presented annually since 1993 to a National Basketball Association (NBA) player adjudged to be the best in a given year, typically the NBA season contested during or immediately before the holding of the ESPY Awards ceremony.

Between 1993 and 2004, the award voting panel comprised variously fans; sportswriters and broadcasters, sports executives, and retired sportspersons, termed collectively experts.

Through the 2001 iteration of the ESPY Awards, ceremonies were conducted in February of each year to honor achievements over the previous calendar year; awards presented thereafter are conferred in June and reflect performance from the June previous.[1] Seven players have won the award more than once; Michael Jordan won the inaugural award and a total of four across his career. LeBron James has won the award a total of seven times, the most by any player. Stephen Curry has won the award three times, while Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, and Hakeem Olajuwon have claimed two each. The award wasn't awarded in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Winners

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  Player was a member of the winning team in the NBA Finals.
  Player was a member of the losing team in the NBA Finals.
* NBA Regular Season MVP
NBA Finals MVP

Year Player Nationality Position Team
1993 Michael Jordan *†   United States Shooting guard Chicago Bulls
1994 Charles Barkley *   United States Power forward Phoenix Suns
1995 Hakeem Olajuwon *†   Nigeria /   United States Center Houston Rockets
1996 Hakeem Olajuwon (2) †   Nigeria /   United States Center Houston Rockets
1997 Michael Jordan (2) *†   United States Shooting guard Chicago Bulls
1998 Michael Jordan (3) †   United States Shooting guard Chicago Bulls
1999 Michael Jordan (4) *†   United States Shooting guard Chicago Bulls
2000 Tim Duncan   United States Power forward San Antonio Spurs
2001 Shaquille O'Neal *†   United States Center Los Angeles Lakers
2002 Shaquille O'Neal (2) †   United States Center Los Angeles Lakers
2003 Tim Duncan (2) *†   United States Power forward San Antonio Spurs
2004 Kevin Garnett *   United States Power forward Minnesota Timberwolves
2005 Steve Nash *   Canada Point guard Phoenix Suns
2006 Dwyane Wade   United States Shooting guard Miami Heat
2007 LeBron James   United States Small forward Cleveland Cavaliers
2008 Kobe Bryant *   United States Point guard Los Angeles Lakers
2009 LeBron James (2) *   United States Small forward Cleveland Cavaliers
2010 Kobe Bryant (2) †   United States Shooting guard Los Angeles Lakers
2011 Dirk Nowitzki   Germany Power forward Dallas Mavericks
2012 LeBron James (3) *†   United States Small forward Miami Heat
2013 LeBron James (4) *†   United States Small forward Miami Heat
2014 Kevin Durant *   United States Small forward Oklahoma City Thunder
2015 Stephen Curry *   United States Point guard Golden State Warriors
2016 LeBron James (5) †   United States Small forward Cleveland Cavaliers
2017 LeBron James (6)   United States Small forward Cleveland Cavaliers
2018 LeBron James (7)   United States Small forward Cleveland Cavaliers
2019 Giannis Antetokounmpo *   Greece Power forward Milwaukee Bucks
2020 Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021 Stephen Curry (2)   United States Point guard Golden State Warriors
2022 Stephen Curry (3) †   United States Point guard Golden State Warriors
2023 Nikola Jokić   Serbia Center Denver Nuggets
2024 Luka Dončić   Slovenia Point guard Dallas Mavericks
By player
Winners Selections
LeBron James 7
Michael Jordan 4
Stephen Curry 3
Kobe Bryant 2
Tim Duncan 2
Hakeem Olajuwon 2
Shaquille O'Neal 2
Giannis Antetokounmpo 1
Charles Barkley 1
Luka Dončić 1
Kevin Durant 1
Kevin Garnett 1
Nikola Jokić 1
Steve Nash 1
Dirk Nowitzki 1
Dwyane Wade 1
By team
Team Winners
Cleveland Cavaliers 5
Chicago Bulls 4
Los Angeles Lakers 4
Miami Heat 3
Golden State Warriors 3
Dallas Mavericks 2
Houston Rockets 2
Phoenix Suns 2
San Antonio Spurs 2
Denver Nuggets 1
Milwaukee Bucks 1
Minnesota Timberwolves 1
Oklahoma City Thunder 1

Notes

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  1. ^ Because of the rescheduling of the ESPY Awards ceremony, the award presented in 2002 was given in consideration of performance between February 2001 and June 2002.

References

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