Post by eric on Apr 22, 2015 14:26:50 GMT -6
The first MVP was awarded in 1956 to Bob "Frank Selvy Isn't Fit to Carry My Jock" Pettit. Since then it has been awarded to 29 additional men. They have been on the same team at some point in their career as another player who won MVP at some point in their career this many times, listed in chronological order of first MVP received:
Abdul-Jabbar : Robertson (71-74) Johnson (80-89) McAdoo (82-85)
Barkley : Moses (85-86) Erving (85-86) McAdoo (86) Olajuwon (97-00)
Bird : Cowens (80) Walton (86-87)
Bryant : O'Neal (97-04) Karl (04) Nash (13-14)
Cousy : Russell (57-63) Robertson (70)
Cowens : McAdoo (79) Bird (80)
Duncan : Robinson (98-03)
Erving : Moses (83-86) Barkley (85-86) McAdoo (86)
Garnett : O'Neal (11)
James : O'Neal (10)
Johnson : Abdul-Jabbar (80-89) McAdoo (82-85)
Karl : O'Neal (04) Bryant (04)
McAdoo : Moses (77, 86) Cowens (79) Abdul-Jabbar (82-85) Johnson (82-85) Erving (86) Barkley (86)
Moses : McAdoo (77, 86) Erving (83-86) Barkley (85-86) Robinson (95)
Nash : Nowitzki (99-04) O'Neal (08-09) Bryant (13-14)
Nowitzki : Nash (99-04)
Olajuwon : Barkley (97-00)
O'Neal : Bryant (97-04) Karl (04) Nash (08-09) James (10) Garnett (11)
Robertson : Cousy (70) Abdul-Jabbar (71-74)
Robinson : Moses (95) Duncan (98-03)
Russell : Cousy (57-63)
Walton : Bird (86-87)
Pettit, Chamberlain, Unseld, Reed, Jordan, Iverson, Rose, Durant : none
You can trace
51 Cousy
70 Robertson
74 Abdul-Jabbar
82 McAdoo
86 Moses
95 Robinson
08 Duncan
present day
13 of the 14 MVPs from 1971 to 2000 would play with another MVP at some point in their career.
19 of 21 from 1971 to 2010. Marc Gasol could win MVP someday and he played with Iverson, but unlikely.
McAdoo and Moses are both famously well-traveled, but it's still amazing to me that they were teammates on two separate teams. Moses' journey into the NBA is an amazing story in itself: went to the ABA out of high school, was drafted in their 3rd round. In late 1975 (the last ABA season) the NBA had a conference call(!) with all the teams for a special draft of those ABA players who still weren't eligible for the NBA draft. Almost every team chose not to draft at all, resulting in only five picks, among which were the Jazz drafting Moses Malone. They decided "nah" and waived their rights "in exchange for the return of their first-round draft pick in 1977". Now, there were only 22 draft picks in the first round of 1977, so my guess is they had lost their pick to a penalty of some kind. This was one of the three first round picks included in the Gail Goodrich deal and was used by the Lakers to draft Kenny Carr, so it can't be as some sources say that waiving their Moses rights got them back a pick from the Gail Goodrich deal.
Anyway, in the 1976 dispersal draft Moses was selected 5th overall by the Trailblazers (their second first round pick). They decided "nah" and before Moses played a single game for them traded him to Buffalo for a first round pick. Buffalo played him two whole games and decided "nah" and traded him to Houston for TWO first round picks. Established himself in Houston, led them to an extremely improbable 1981 Finals, won MVP in 1982, decided "nah" and signed with Philadelphia, established himself again, then went to 5 different teams over 9 years.
After Buffalo got rid of one future Hall of Famer, they decided to double down and traded Bob McAdoo to the Knicks for John Gianelli. (The Braves/Clippers are the oldest franchise at 44 years to never reach a Conference Finals. The next oldest is the Pelicans at 26.) McAdoo didn't actually play in either of Moses' two games, but they were under contract for the same team. McAdoo went from the Knicks to the Celtics to the Pistons to the Nets to the Lakers to the 76ers, rejoining Moses along with Dr. J and a very young Charles Barkley. The 1986 76ers with their 4 MVPs are the most in NBA history, a record that will probably never be topped. The 2004 Lakers are the only team with 3. Dirk, Duncan, Garnett, and Kobe are retiring with their teams, which leaves LeBron Durant and Rose as the active MVPs.
But you can see clusters. 1997 draft ± 1 year had Garnett, AI, Nash, Kobe, Duncan. 1985 ± 1 had Jordan, Hakeem, Barkley, Karl. 1970 ± 1 had Unseld, Kareem, Cowens. If we look at 2008 ± 1 we can get Durant, Rose, Harden(?), Curry(?), Blake(??), Horford(??), Westbrook(???), Love(???). Harden seems a pretty good bet to win at least one MVP. If Westbrook ever does too, that's a 3 for the Thunder. You never know!
Mates Name
0 Pettit
2 Cousy
1 Russell
0 Chamberlain
2 Robertson
0 Unseld
0 Reed
3 Abdul-Jabbar
2 Cowens
6 McAdoo
1 Walton
4 Moses
3 Erving
2 Bird
2 Johnson
0 Jordan
4 Barkley
1 Olajuwon
2 Robinson
2 Karl
5 O'Neal
0 Iverson
1 Duncan
1 Garnett
3 Nash
1 Nowitzki
3 Bryant
1 James
0 Rose
0 DurantAbdul-Jabbar : Robertson (71-74) Johnson (80-89) McAdoo (82-85)
Barkley : Moses (85-86) Erving (85-86) McAdoo (86) Olajuwon (97-00)
Bird : Cowens (80) Walton (86-87)
Bryant : O'Neal (97-04) Karl (04) Nash (13-14)
Cousy : Russell (57-63) Robertson (70)
Cowens : McAdoo (79) Bird (80)
Duncan : Robinson (98-03)
Erving : Moses (83-86) Barkley (85-86) McAdoo (86)
Garnett : O'Neal (11)
James : O'Neal (10)
Johnson : Abdul-Jabbar (80-89) McAdoo (82-85)
Karl : O'Neal (04) Bryant (04)
McAdoo : Moses (77, 86) Cowens (79) Abdul-Jabbar (82-85) Johnson (82-85) Erving (86) Barkley (86)
Moses : McAdoo (77, 86) Erving (83-86) Barkley (85-86) Robinson (95)
Nash : Nowitzki (99-04) O'Neal (08-09) Bryant (13-14)
Nowitzki : Nash (99-04)
Olajuwon : Barkley (97-00)
O'Neal : Bryant (97-04) Karl (04) Nash (08-09) James (10) Garnett (11)
Robertson : Cousy (70) Abdul-Jabbar (71-74)
Robinson : Moses (95) Duncan (98-03)
Russell : Cousy (57-63)
Walton : Bird (86-87)
Pettit, Chamberlain, Unseld, Reed, Jordan, Iverson, Rose, Durant : none
You can trace
51 Cousy
70 Robertson
74 Abdul-Jabbar
82 McAdoo
86 Moses
95 Robinson
08 Duncan
present day
13 of the 14 MVPs from 1971 to 2000 would play with another MVP at some point in their career.
19 of 21 from 1971 to 2010. Marc Gasol could win MVP someday and he played with Iverson, but unlikely.
McAdoo and Moses are both famously well-traveled, but it's still amazing to me that they were teammates on two separate teams. Moses' journey into the NBA is an amazing story in itself: went to the ABA out of high school, was drafted in their 3rd round. In late 1975 (the last ABA season) the NBA had a conference call(!) with all the teams for a special draft of those ABA players who still weren't eligible for the NBA draft. Almost every team chose not to draft at all, resulting in only five picks, among which were the Jazz drafting Moses Malone. They decided "nah" and waived their rights "in exchange for the return of their first-round draft pick in 1977". Now, there were only 22 draft picks in the first round of 1977, so my guess is they had lost their pick to a penalty of some kind. This was one of the three first round picks included in the Gail Goodrich deal and was used by the Lakers to draft Kenny Carr, so it can't be as some sources say that waiving their Moses rights got them back a pick from the Gail Goodrich deal.
Anyway, in the 1976 dispersal draft Moses was selected 5th overall by the Trailblazers (their second first round pick). They decided "nah" and before Moses played a single game for them traded him to Buffalo for a first round pick. Buffalo played him two whole games and decided "nah" and traded him to Houston for TWO first round picks. Established himself in Houston, led them to an extremely improbable 1981 Finals, won MVP in 1982, decided "nah" and signed with Philadelphia, established himself again, then went to 5 different teams over 9 years.
After Buffalo got rid of one future Hall of Famer, they decided to double down and traded Bob McAdoo to the Knicks for John Gianelli. (The Braves/Clippers are the oldest franchise at 44 years to never reach a Conference Finals. The next oldest is the Pelicans at 26.) McAdoo didn't actually play in either of Moses' two games, but they were under contract for the same team. McAdoo went from the Knicks to the Celtics to the Pistons to the Nets to the Lakers to the 76ers, rejoining Moses along with Dr. J and a very young Charles Barkley. The 1986 76ers with their 4 MVPs are the most in NBA history, a record that will probably never be topped. The 2004 Lakers are the only team with 3. Dirk, Duncan, Garnett, and Kobe are retiring with their teams, which leaves LeBron Durant and Rose as the active MVPs.
But you can see clusters. 1997 draft ± 1 year had Garnett, AI, Nash, Kobe, Duncan. 1985 ± 1 had Jordan, Hakeem, Barkley, Karl. 1970 ± 1 had Unseld, Kareem, Cowens. If we look at 2008 ± 1 we can get Durant, Rose, Harden(?), Curry(?), Blake(??), Horford(??), Westbrook(???), Love(???). Harden seems a pretty good bet to win at least one MVP. If Westbrook ever does too, that's a 3 for the Thunder. You never know!
