Yes, you read that correctly: Russell, who reached the NBA Finals 12 times and won 11 championships in his career, never took home the Finals MVP trophy.
There must be some sort of error in the history books, right? How could one of the greatest players in league history have walked away from the court without that honor on his resume?
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Why Bill Russell never won NBA Finals MVP
Russell only had one opportunity to be named the Finals MVP. The award was first introduced during the 1969 NBA Finals, the last championship series of Russell’s career.
Lakers star Jerry West received the award after averaging nearly 38 points across seven games, but Russell and the Celtics won the series. West remains the only player in NBA history who has been named the Finals MVP in a losing effort.
NBA renames Finals MVP award to honor Bill Russell
In 2009, then-commissioner David Stern announced that the Finals MVP of each series would receive the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award.
“Who better to name this prestigious award for than one of the greatest players of all time and the ultimate champion,” Stern said at the time.
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.
Full list of NBA Finals MVP award winners
Michael Jordan owns the record for most Finals MVP awards in league history with six. LeBron 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).
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is the most recent winner of the award. He led Milwaukee to its first championship in 50 years, averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 steals per game against Phoenix in the 2021 NBA Finals.
