10 Oldest NBA Players To Win The Finals MVP Award

The NBA Finals MVP award is one of the most sought-after awards in the league. The Finals MVP is awarded to the player who steps up and has the biggest impact on the biggest stage for any given season, the NBA Finals. It can even be argued that winning the Finals MVP means more to a player than winning the MVP award for the regular season. Being crowned Finals MVP means, at least for one night, you stood above the rest as the best player on the court in the NBA Finals, which is the end goal for all 30 teams each season. Last year, we wrote about the youngest NBA players who have won the Finals MVP award, now it is time for the oldest NBA players.

Just as we did with MVPs recently, we are going to take a look at the oldest Finals MVPs in NBA history. The accomplishments below speak volumes about the impact that these players had on championship teams even well into their 30s. Historically, players entering their mid to late 30s are usually on the back end of their careers and beginning to slow down. For these 10 players, that is far from the truth. Even as these players approached the twilight of their careers, they were still the most impactful players on championship teams, cementing their legacies as some of the greatest players in NBA history.

These are the 10 oldest Finals MVP award winners in NBA history.

10. Hakeem Olajuwon – 32 Years, 144 Days Old

1995 Finals Stats: 32.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 2.0 BPG

Back in 1995, Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets were coming off their best season as a franchise ever. Olajuwon was named the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in 1994 and eventually led the Rockets to their first NBA championship in franchise history later that season. Olajuwon would be named the Finals MVP of that series, completing one of the best individual seasons for any player ever. The work was not done, however as they needed to defend their crown in 1995.

In 1995, the Rockets limped out of the gates a bit until they made a midseason deal that would see them acquire start shooting guard Clyde Drexler. Olajuwon had a remarkable season, mirroring his 1994 campaign with 27.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 1.6 SPG, and 2.9 BPG. Olajuwon and the Rockets would fight their way to their 2nd straight NBA Finals, where they met the Orlando Magic. Led by Olajuwon, the Rockets cruised to their second straight NBA title in a four-game sweep. Olajuwon would claim Finals MVP honors with 32.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, and 2.0 BPG. He had embarrassed a young Shaquille O’Neal in the process at the near halfway point of his age 32 season.

9. Dirk Nowitzki – 32 Years, 358 Days Old

2011 Finals Stats: 26.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Prior to his miraculous run to the NBA Finals in 2011, Dirk Nowitzki desperately sought the NBA championship that had slipped through his grasp. In 2006, Nowitzki led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals and built a 2-0 series lead before Dwyane Wade, and the Heat won four straight games to win the title. In 2007, Nowitzki was named the MVP of the league, but his team was upset in the first round by the eight-seeded Golden State Warriors in six games. Nowitzki was already one of the greats but just needed an NBA title to solidify his legacy.

In 2011, Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks finished 57-25 on the season and headed to the NBA playoffs. En route to the NBA Finals, the Mavericks, led by Nowitzki, defeated the Trail Blazers, defending champions Lakers, and Thunder for a date with the Miami Heat, who had added LeBron James and Chris Bosh alongside Wade. After falling down 2-1 in the series, Nowitzki led the Mavericks to three straight wins to capture the first championship in Mavericks history. Nowitzki was crowned Finals MVP just one week shy of his 33rd birthday.

8. Michael Jordan – 33 Years, 119 Days Old

1996 Finals Stats: 27.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.2 BPG

In 1996, Michael Jordan made a comeback after taking nearly two seasons off to play baseball. He had returned for a small amount of time in 1995 before he and the Bulls were eliminated in the playoffs by the Eastern Conference champions, the Orlando Magic. Jordan and the Bulls came back with a vengeance, winning 72 games and setting the new NBA record for wins by a team in a single season. When the NBA playoffs came, everyone knew who would be there in the end.

The Bulls got off to a hot start come playoffs time, sweeping the Heat in the first round and defeating the Knicks in the second round. In the Eastern Conference Finals, Jordan and the Bulls exacted their revenge on the Magic from the year prior by sweeping them to advance to the Finals. In the Finals, Jordan and the Bulls got out to a 3-0 series lead, and it looked like they were going to cruise to the championship. After the SuperSonics won Games four and five, the Bulls closed the door in the series in Game 6, winning their 4th NBA title with Jordan claiming his fourth Finals MVP award.

7. John Havlicek – 34 Years, 34 Days Old

1974 Finals Stats: 26.4 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.0 BPG

John Havlicek is quite possibly one of the most complete players ever. He earned 13 All-Star selections in his career, as well as eight All-NBA Teal selections and eight All-Defensive Team selections. He and the Boston Celtics won eight NBA championships together during his career, which lasted from 1963 thru 1977. On a team with stars such as JoJo White, Bill Russell, and Dave Cowens, Havlicek found it difficult to earn that Finals MVP award he was eager to capture until 1974 rolled around.

During the regular season in 1973-74, Havlicek averaged 22.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 5.9 APG, and 1.3 SPG. The Celtics won 56 games and captured a division title. Havlicek was their leading scorer, and the Celtics cruised to a playoff berth. They went 8-3 over their first two series to make the NBA Finals and a showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks. The series would go seven games as the two teams wouldn’t give an inch to the other to gain an advantage. In the end, Boston would win Game 7 102-87, with Havlicek leading all scorers with 26.4 PPG for the series. He was named Finals MVP just one month after his 34th birthday.

6. Stephen Curry – 34 Years, 61 Days Old

2022 Finals Stats: 31.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Stephen Curry is one of the most beloved, hated, and respected players in NBA history, all wrapped into one. He changed the game forever with his innate ability to hit three-point shots at an exceptionally high rate with ridiculous volume. Up until 2022, Curry had already led the Golden State Warriors to three NBA titles, won two MVP awards, and was already crowned the NBA’s three-point king by surpassing Ray Allen for the most three-pointers made in NBA history. Just one thing was missing.

As the 2022 season unfolded, the Warriors looked more and more like a team that was destined to work their way back to the NBA Finals. Curry and his team finished with 53 wins and the third seed in the West for the playoffs. They would cruise to the NBA Finals, where they met the young and hungry Boston Celtics. Curry would not let another opportunity at his fourth title and first Finals MVP award slip away as he averaged over 31.0 PPG, attempting over 10.0 three-pointers per game and knocking them down at a 43.7% rate. The Warriors dismissed the Celtics in six games, and Curry was finally awarded his first Finals MVP award two months past his 34th birthday.

5. Michael Jordan – 34 Years, 116 Days Old

1997 Finals Stats: 32.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.8 BPG

When 1997 rolled around, the Chicago Bulls were coming off the most historic season in NBA history by any team. You could expect complacency from a team that had just set the record and captured their fourth NBA title in six years, but this was no ordinary squad. Led by Michael Jordan, the Bulls remained starving and hungry for another NBA championship as they won 69 games with another No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs.

The Bulls would once again steamroll opponents in the NBA playoffs. They swept the Bullets in the first round and beat the Hawks and Heat over the next two rounds each in five games to advance to yet another NBA Finals. In the NBA Finals, the Bulls would meet Karl Malone, John Stockton, and the Utah Jazz for a shot at their fifth title. After splitting their first four games, Jordan and the Bulls would win the final two contests to capture championship number five. Jordan would average over 32.0 PPG on 45.6% shooting to win his fifth Finals MVP award and fifth title in seven seasons.

4. Michael Jordan – 35 Years, 117 Days Old

1998 Finals Stats: 33.5 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Are you tired of reading about Michael Jordan yet? I didn’t think so. Jordan’s final trip to the NBA Finals would be dubbed The Last Dance by coach Phil Jackson headed into the 1998 campaign. After the season, it was privately and publicly known that the Bulls were ready to head into a rebuild with stars like Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman getting older and struggling with injury. The Bulls struggled out of the gate but finished strong with 62 wins and another chance to win an NBA championship.

In the playoffs, Jordan and the Bulls would defeat the Nets, Hornets, and Pacers to advance to their sixth Finals in eight seasons. Jordan would lead all scorers in the first four games as Chicago built a 3-1 series lead over the Utah Jazz, a team that was supposed to knock them off as NBA champions. In Game 6, Jordan would seal the deal with 45 points and a game-winning shot over Bryon Russell for Chicago’s Sixth NBA championship and second three-peat. Once again, Jordan was named the Finals MVP with over 33.0 PPG for the series on 42.7% shooting. What else was there to be expected from the greatest playoff scorer of all time?

3. Wilt Chamberlain – 35 Years, 259 Days Old

1972 Finals Stats: 19.4 PPG, 23.2 RPG, 2.6 APG

The stories of Wilt Chamberlain’s career live on to this day as he is viewed more like a Greek God rather than the dominant NBA player he actually was. Chamberlain was already in his 13th season in the NBA when 1972 came around and his fourth season with the Los Angeles Lakers. Alongside Gail Goodrich and Jerry West, Chamberlain and the Lakers would win 69 games in 1972, setting the stage for what was sure to be an exciting run to the NBA Finals.

The stage was set by the time the NBA Finals came around, as the Lakers were set to meet the Knicks for the third time in four seasons in the NBA Finals. In 1970 and 1972, the Knicks were victorious over the Lakers as Willis Reed made Chamberlain’s life a living hell in the matchup. The Knicks would blowout the Lakers by 22 points in Game 1 but that would be the only game New York Captured for the remainder of the series. The Lakers would win four straight games to win the NBA championship with Wilt dominating the scoreboard and the glass. He averaged over 19.0 PPG and 23.0 RPG on 60.0% shooting for his second championship and first Finals MVP award in his career.

2. LeBron James – 35 Years, 284 Days Old

2020 Finals Stats: 29.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 8.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG

If there is any prime example of someone defying and defeating Father Time, it is LeBron James. Even in his 20th season in 2022-23, he is still among the league leaders in most offensive categories. After missing the playoffs with the Lakers in 2019, James was determined to not have to face that pain again in 2020 as the team went out and acquired star big man Anthony Davis to pair with LeBron and make a run at an NBA championship. What wasn’t foreseen was the season being shut down due to a global pandemic and a pause midway through the year that ended up being a blessing for Los Angeles.

As the seasons restarted in a bubble environment as Disney World in Orlando, the Lakers were seen as one of the favorites to end the extended stay as NBA champions. The Lakers would win each of their first three series of the playoffs in five games, setting a date in the Finals with James’ former team, the Miami Heat. The Heat put up a good fight, but the duo of Davis and James was just too much for them to contain. LeBron would win his fourth NBA title and fourth Finals just shy of his 36th birthday averaging nearly 30.0 PPG on 59.1% shooting overall and 41.7% from three on over 7.0 attempts per game.

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 38 Years, 54 Days Old

1985 Finals Stats: 25.7 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 5.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.5 BPG

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most accomplished NBA plays in the history of the league. Forming an incredible duo with Magic Johnson in the 80s, Kareem and the Lakers won five NBA championships during the decade. Kareem and the Lakers battled their heated rivals, the Boston Celtics, for NBA supremacy for most of the decade with the Lakers coming out on top more often than not winning exactly half the amount of NBA titles there were to be won during the decade. In 1985, Kareem would make sure things were no different for his Lakers over Boston.

The 1984-85 regular season saw Kareem, Magic, and the Lakers win 62 games with the most potent offense in basketball. The Lakers would go 11-2 in the playoffs before meeting Boston yet again in the NBA Finals. The series began with a 2-2 split between the two teams before the Lakers ran away with it over the next two contests. Kareem took over the series as the Lakers’ leading scorer with over 25.0 PPG and leading rebounder with 9.0 RPG. He shot 60.4% from the field in the series and the Celtics simply had no answer for his superior play. At just over 38 years old, Kareem became the oldest Finals MVP in NBA history, a record that still stands today and is unlikely to be broken anytime soon. 

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