Winning the
National Basketball Association (NBA)'s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is every player's dream.
It is time to rank the league's MVP's from the last 10 years.
7. Derrick Rose (2010/11)
Rose became only the third player since the 1972/73 NBA season to record 2,000 points and 600 assists in a single season - the other two players were LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
As a result, the point guard was named the NBA Most Valuable Player, joining Michael Jordan as the only players to receive the award in Chicago Bulls history.
At 22 years and 6 months old, Rose also became the youngest player to receive the award (Wes Unseld, formerly the youngest MVP, won the award in 1968/69 at age 23 years, 2 months).
"When I was with him this summer, I could see the bounce was back and ... just the way he was working in the gym," Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau, who was with Rose in Chicago when Rose was the 2011 MVP by slashing to the rim, said on Chron.
"That was something he couldn't do the previous five summers. He put a lot of time into it. It doesn't surprise me. Usually guys as they get older they improve their shooting. In Derrick's case that seems to be true. He's put a lot of work into it. He's got a lot of confidence going.
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6. Giannis Antetokounmpo (2018/19)
Antetokounmpo established himself as one of the best players in the NBA last season when he produced his career high 27.7 points and 12.5 rebounds per game for Milwaukee Bucks.
The Greek power forward was named the league's Most Valuable Player and joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second Bucks player to win the MVP.
He also became the third-youngest player to win the MVP over the previous 40 seasons, behind Derrick Rose and LeBron James, at the age of 24.
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5. James Harden (2017/18 season)
Harden enjoyed his best season in the NBA as he averaged 10 free throws and 10 three-point attempts in a single season - becoming the first player to achieve this.
The Houston Rockets shooting guard also became the third player in franchise history to receive the award, joining Moses Malone (1978/79 and 1981/82) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1993/94).
4. Russell Westbrook (2016/17)
Westbrook claimed the MVP award having joined Oscar Robertson (in 1961/62) as the only players in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season.
A triple-double is defined as a performance in which a player accumulates a double-digit number total in three of five statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots) in a game.
His historic 42nd triple-double, to break Robertson's record of most triple-doubles in a season, came in Oklahoma City Thunder's106-105 away victory against the Denver Nuggets on the 9th of April 2017.
The point guard also set a franchise playoff scoring record (51 points) and added 13 assists and 10 rebounds, marking his sixth career playoff triple-double against Houston Rockets in the 2016/17 playoffs.
3. Kevin Durant (2013/14)
Durant averaged 32 points per game, shot 50% from the field and at least 35% from deep - becoming the second player to achieve this after Michael Jordan.
The accomplished small forward also surpassed Jordan's record for consecutive games scoring 25 points or more at 41 games while on the books of Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder finished the year with 59 wins and Durant was voted the NBA MVP behind averages of 32 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game.
2. Stephen Curry (2014/15 & 2015/16)
Curry has two back-to-back NBA MVP accolades and has been credited with revolutionizing the game of basketball by inspiring teams to regularly utilize the three-point shot.
The Golden State Warriors point guard was voted the NBA MVP during the 2014/15 season after posting averages of 23.8 points, 7.7 assists and 2 steals per game.
Curry was then named the league's first-ever unanimous MVP, becoming the 11th player in NBA history to win the award in consecutive seasons at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.
“I happen to inherit the most joyful basketball player ever in NBA history, Steph Curry," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said about Curry on Essentially Sports.
Further, Kerr talks about how it is important to have a “connection with key players.” When asked about how he managed to do the same with his players, Kerr revealed.
“We had great talent and they were already good. That was the first thing we tried to do as a coaching staff. We’d go in there and tell the guys, ‘we respect what you’ve already done. We’re here to try to help you take the next step’.”
1. LeBron James (2009/10, 2011/12 & 2012/13)
James has won the NBA MVP three times in the last 10 years having averaged 29.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 1 block per game on 50 percent shooting en route to the award in 2010 while playing for Cleveland Cavaliers.
The accomplished small forward moved to Miami Heat in 2010 and he won the MVP award after finishing the 2011/12 season with averages of 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game on 53 percent shooting.
James was then named MVP in the following season when his averages were 26.8 points, 8 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game on 56.5 percent shooting.
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