Tim Duncan’s MVP Points Per Season: The Greatest Power Forward Ever Won Two MVP Awards

By most accounts, Tim Duncan is considered the greatest power forward of all time. He captured an impressive 2 MVP awards, 3 Finals MVP awards, and 5 NBA championships. In terms of team accolades, Duncan led the charge for a San Antonio Spurs dynasty that dominated the 2000s and even 2010s decades. But his impact came beyond simply numbers and accolades because he also terrorized defense with the utmost skill in terms of dominating the post.

Because he consistently made the right move at the appropriate moment, Duncan’s intangibles were just on another level. That is why he is known as “The Big Fundamental” for his ability to read the game, make the right plays, and set his teammates up. Defensively, Duncan got the job done by dominating on defense en route to his 15 All-Defensive Team selections. In terms of two-way impact, Tim Duncan is one of the best that the league has seen.

Duncan managed to win 2 MVP awards in his career, which is tied for 1st all-time among power forwards alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl Malone, and Bob Pettit, who each won 2 MVPs. In honor of Tim Duncan and his incredible resume, it is time to go through every season of The Big Fundamental’s career to allocate the total number of MVP points earned and his MVP race finish. We already saw how many times Larry Bird came close to winning more than his three MVP trophies and how Kobe Bryant might have gotten the raw end of many deals. But regardless, it is amazing to see how great Duncan was as soon as he entered the league and how quickly he won his two MVP awards.

1997-98 – 148 Points (MVP Race Finish: 5th)

Season Statistics: 21.1 PPG, 11.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.5 BPG

In Tim Duncan’s rookie season, he was immediately dominant. He averaged a monster double-double and finished 3rd in RPG and 6th in BPG. The Big Fundamental was already the best rookie in the NBA by a large mile and unsurprisingly won Rookie of the Year. For his efforts, he even finished 5th in the MVP voting as the award went to Michael Jordan.

1998-99 – 740 Points (MVP Race Finish: 3rd)

Season Statistics: 21.7 PPG, 11.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.5 BPG

In his second NBA season, Tim Duncan was even better as he began to showcase more of an all-around game and enforce his leadership traits. The big man came very close to the MVP award, finishing 3rd behind Karl Malone and Alonzo Mourning. Duncan finished 5th in RPG and 7th in BPG while also ranking 6th in PPG. Finishing 3rd in the MVP race as a 22-year-old is nothing to sniff at, even if he only managed to play 50 games.

1999-00 – 248 Points (MVP Race Finish: 5th)

Season Statistics: 23.2 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.2 BPG

In his third NBA season, Tim Duncan was once again spectacular by ranking 9th in scoring, 3rd in rebounds, and 7th in blocks. The Big Fundamental came close, again, to the MVP award by finishing 5th behind Shaquille O’Neal (MVP winner), Kevin Garnett, Alonzo Mourning, and Karl Malone. Clearly, this was a season where big men dominated, and in the end, Shaq did dominate by capturing the NBA title and Finals MVP award as well.

2000-01 – 706 Points (MVP Race Finish: 2nd)

Season Statistics: 22.2 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.3 BPG

Tim Duncan came within inches of winning his first MVP award in 2001, the same season that Allen Iverson captivated fans with his scintillating play to lead the Philadelphia 76er to an incredible 56-26 record which topped the East. Duncan was solid as usual, and he would have won the MVP award if Iverson did not have one of the best seasons ever from an individual standpoint. Luckily for Duncan, he did not have to wait long to earn back-to-back MVP awards.

2001-02 – 954 Points (MVP Race Finish: 1st)

Season Statistics: 25.5 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.5 BPG

Duncan’s first MVP trophy came following the 2002 season when he averaged 25.5 PPG and 12.7 RPG on 50.8% shooting from the field. The Big Fundamental finished 5th in scoring, 1st in rebounds, and 1st in win shares. Even if Shaq, Kobe, and the Lakers were the team to beat all year long, Duncan had the best individual season in the league. He carried the Spurs all year long and even guided them to the Western Conference Semi-finals against the Lakers.

2002-03 – 962 Points (MVP Race Finish: 1st)

Season Statistics: 23.3 PPG, 12.9 RPG, 3.9 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.9 BPG

For the second straight year, Tim Duncan became the league’s MVP. He posted spectacular two-way numbers, finishing 3rd in RPG and 3rd in BPG. The big man was unquestionably the best player on the San Antonio Spurs again, as the team held an impressive 62-20 record which topped the Western Conference. As we have seen throughout history, the best player on the best team in the NBA always has the best chance to win the MVP award, and that is what happened with Tim Duncan.

2003-04 – 716 Points (MVP Race Finish: 2nd)

Season Statistics: 22.3 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.7 BPG

Tim Duncan came inches away from winnings his third straight MVP award, similar to what Larry Bird did in the 1980s decade. But Duncan fell just short because Kevin Garnett was otherworldly. Garnett literally carried the Minnesota Timberwolves on his back and guided them to a solid 58-24 record which was the first seed in the West. As great as Duncan was, and he was spectacular, Garnett had to win the MVP award because he did everything on the court for his side that year.

2004-05 – 328 Points (MVP Race Finish: 4th)

Season Statistics: 20.3 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.6 BPG

In the 2005 season, Tim Duncan averaged his usual double-double and made his 7th straight All-Star Team. The Big Fundamental finished 4th in the MVP race behind Steve Nash, Shaquille O’Neal, and Dirk Nowitzki. Nash was the MVP of the league because he was the architect behind the “7 seconds or less” Suns that swept the nation. Regardless, it was looking like it was going to be harder for Duncan to win the MVP award again. It didn’t matter to Tim because he won the NBA title at the end of the year.

2005-06 – 33 Points (MVP Race Finish: 8th)

Season Statistics: 18.6 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.0 BPG

Steve Nash was the NBA’s MVP in the 2006 season, although many felt that Kobe Bryant was severely undercut (4th in the MVP race) and LeBron James was overlooked (second). With so much discussion about these three stars, Duncan was left well behind as he finished 8th in the MVP race. It did not affect Duncan much as he posted his usual double and had the Spurs in contention yet again. The following year, Duncan would do much better in terms of earning MVP votes.

2006-07 – 286 Points (MVP Race Finish: 4th)

Season Statistics: 20.0 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.4 BPG

The league champion at the end of the year, the San Antonio Spurs were strong from the first month of the season. Tim Duncan led the way with a double-double and finished 4th in the MVP race because he led the team to a 3rd seed in the West. The MVP went to Dirk Nowitzki, as Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant fell behind him. Duncan did not win the MVP award, but he did make the All-Star Team and finished behind Tony Parker for the Finals MVP award.

2007-08 – 25 Points (MVP Race Finish: 7th)

Season Statistics: 19.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 2.8 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.9 BPG

The Big Fundamental finished 7th in the MVP race, posting a double-double with almost 2 BPG. Defensively, Duncan was on point all year long and finished 9th in Defensive Player of the Year voting. The big man was solid, scoring inside, rebounding, and blocking shots. The Spurs benefited by finishing 3rd in the West but could not win the title, as the Boston Celtics won it all at the expense of the Los Angeles Lakers.

2008-09 – 2 Points (MVP Race Finish: 11th)

Season Statistics: 19.3 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 3.5 APG, 0.5 SPG, 1.7 BPG

Tim Duncan had a low finish in the MVP race mainly because Tony Parker was the best player on the Spurs all year. The point guard averaged 22.0 PPG and 6.9 APG and finished 8th in the MVP race. As usual, the typical candidates were doing their things as LeBron James finished with the MVP award ahead of Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. Duncan had a solid season making the All-Star Team, but he had no shot of winning MVP.

2009-10 – 0 Points (MVP Race Finish: N/A)

Season Statistics: 17.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.5 BPG

In 2010, Tim Duncan averaged a double-double but still did not manage a single MVP vote. The big man was solid, but there was too much competition in the NBA with regard to superstar players putting up monster numbers. LeBron James won the MVP, Kevin Durant was second, and Kobe Bryant was third. In other words, there was no chance for anyone else to have a shot at winning the award. Regardless, Duncan made the All-Star Team again at 33 years old.

2010-11 – 0 Points (MVP Race Finish: N/A)

Season Statistics: 13.4 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.9 BPG

Tim Duncan did not manage a single MVP vote in 2011 because his numbers were not quite as great as they used to be. His 1.9 BPG was extremely solid, ranking 8th in the NBA to his credit. The Spurs, as usual, were top of the West with 61 victories. Duncan was behind Manu Ginobili (8th) and Tony Parker (12th) in the MVP race and had zero chance of winning the regular-season award because he was the third-best player on his team. In the end, the Spurs lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Memphis Grizzlies to end a disappointing season.

2011-12 – 3 Points (MVP Race Finish: 14th)

Season Statistics: 15.4 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.5 BPG

The San Antonio Spurs were once again a top team in the West thanks to Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili, but they could not win the championship due to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. But Duncan was solid all year long, at 36 years old, averaging solid figures across the board and leading his side to an impressive 50-16 record in the Western Conference, which topped all teams. Duncan was not the best player on his team, as Tony Parker finished 5th in MVP voting. But Tim did enough to garner 3 points in the MVP race. Eventually, the MVP award went to LeBron James.

2012-13 – 65 Points (MVP Race Finish: 7th)

Season Statistics: 17.8 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.7 SPG, 2.7 BPG

The San Antonio Spurs famously made the NBA Finals and somehow lost despite having Game 6 in their grasp. Ray Allen’s game-tying shot destroyed the team, and eventually, the Miami Heat won the championship. Duncan was the emotional leader all year long, posting a near-double-double at 36 years old and making the All-Star Team. But Duncan could not come close to LeBron James for the MVP award, although he finished 7th in the race.

2013-14 – 21 Points (MVP Race Finish: 12th)

Season Statistics: 15.1 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.9 BPG

At age 37, Tim Duncan was slowly declining in terms of numbers and was no longer the most dominant offensive player on the team. The big man still defended the rim well, could score on the block, and rebounded well enough to almost make the All-Star Team. Because of his leadership and team record (62-20), Duncan earned 21 MVP votes, although he never had a chance of winning the award. Duncan had the last laugh anyways as he won his 5th NBA championship.

2014-15 – 1 Point (MVP Race Finish: 10th)

Season Statistics: 13.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.0 BPG

Tim Duncan managed a single MVP vote at 38 years old and even made the All-Star Team. The big man was not putting up MVP-quality numbers anymore, but he was a tremendous paint enforcer and one of the best leaders on the court. The Spurs lost in the first round to the Los Angeles Clippers thanks to some Chris Paul magic, but Duncan was solid all year long.

2015-16 – 0 Points (MVP Race Finish: N/A)

Season Statistics: 8.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.3 BPG

In his final season, Tim Duncan was clearly not the same player anymore, but he was still one of the best defensive players in the NBA. His size and basketball IQ did not wane one bit, obviously, and he was able to help the San Antonio Spurs finish with 67 wins and came close to making the NBA Western Conference Finals if not for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. 

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