LeBron James’ MVP Points Per Season: King James Deserved More Than Just 4 MVP Awards

When LeBron James came into the league, he was instantly viewed as the next Michael Jordan. That type of pressure came with the notion that he was going to play like an MVP candidate every year. It took one season for James to be considered one of the top players in the NBA. After that, he was a constant figure in the MVP race. James has won the MVP Award four times in his career and could make a case for more.

James has never gone a season without claiming an MVP point. Among those seasons, there are eight seasons where James finished in the top 2 and 10 times where he finished in the top 3. If you gauge his career, half of it was spent as one of the top-3 players in the NBA. Take the name off of the back of the jersey. Anybody that does something like that is an all-time great.

Here are LeBron James’ MVP points per season.

2003-04 – 11 Points (MVP Race Finish: 9th)

Season Statistics: 20.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG

After the season, James was the first Cavaliers player to win Rookie of the Year. He became the third player in league history to start his career with at least 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists per game. The Cavaliers finished with a losing record and missed the playoffs but did improve by doubling their win total from the season before.

James finished with zero first-place votes but captured 11 points to place ninth. He was just behind Jason Kidd and Ben Wallace in the voting. Kevin Garnett won the MVP this season as the Timberwolves were at the top of the Western Conference.

2004-05 – 93 Points (MVP Race Finish: 6th)

Season Statistics: 27.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 7.2 APG, 2.2 SPG, 0.7 BPG

At 20 years old, James was the youngest player in the MVP voting. He made a jump to sixth place and finished with 93 points. He received zero first-place votes again but beat out Amar’e Stoudemire, who did receive at least one. Altogether, it was a successful season for James as he made his first All-Star appearances.

James took the world by storm as he was a 20-year-old phenom. He scored 56 points against the Raptors to set the Cavaliers’ new single-game scoring record. He also made his first All-NBA Team. The Cavaliers started the season 30-20 but finished the season 42-40.

2005-06 – 688 Points (MVP Race Finish: 2nd)

Season Statistics: 31.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 6.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.8 BPG

This season is often talked about when it comes to MVP Awards. Many believe that James was the most worthy, but he wasn’t the only player people talked about. Kobe Bryant led the league in scoring with 35.4 points per game and had one of the greatest scoring months we have ever seen. Meanwhile, James also scored more than 30 points per game to go with strong rebounding and assist line.

Steve Nash won the MVP Award for the second season in a row. He averaged 18.8 points and 10.5 assists, while also making the 50-40-90 Club with 51.2% shooting, 43.9% from three-point range, and 92.1% from the free-throw line. This was the likely reason that Nash won the MVP Award, given how exclusive the 50-40-90 Club is.

2006-07 – 183 Points (MVP Race Finish: 5th)

Season Statistics: 27.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Three players received a first-place vote and James did not receive any of them. Two of the votes went to Kobe Bryant, while 44 went to Steve Nash. The winner this season went to Dirk Nowitzki with 83 votes and 1,138 points. Some analysts believed that James regressed this season due to his passing and shot selection. He was often regarded as having a lack of focus, but the team finished with 50 wins.

The Cavaliers won the No. 2 seed and fought their way to the NBA Finals. James hushed all of his critics, but the team ran into a buzz-saw in the playoffs. The Spurs won their third championship during the 2000s with a four-game sweep over Cleveland.

2007-08 – 438 Points (MVP Race Finish: 4th)

Season Statistics: 30.0 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.8 SPG, 1.1 BPG

James might not have won the regular season MVP Award, but he won the All-Star Game MVP for his game of 27 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists. Those numbers nearly looked like his regular season averages. James ultimately won the scoring title with his 30.0 points per game, while also adding strong rebounding and passing numbers.

The top three vote-getters in the MVP race were Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, and Kevin Garnett. James had one first-place vote in the standings, but 82 of those votes went to Bryant for his effort in leading the Lakers to a top spot in the Western Conference. Ultimately, it was Paul that led all four players in win shares, but it was Bryant that came out with the MVP.

2008-09 – 1,172 Points (MVP Race Finish: 1st)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd4nr9TURt4

Season Statistics: 28.4 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 1.1 BPG

After coming up short for six years, James finally saw his name called the best. James nearly swept the major awards this season. He finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting and made the All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive First Team. James became the fourth player post-merger to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. The Cavaliers won a franchise record of 66 wins and nearly posted the best home record in league history.

James secured 109 first-place votes and blew away the competition. The 24-year-old defeated Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, who scored 698 and 680 points, respectively. James had been talked about like he was the best player in the league. This year finally confirmed that notion.

2009-10 – 1,205 Points (MVP Race Finish: 1st)

Season Statistics: 29.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 8.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 1.0 BPG

For a second straight season, James was the MVP. He was forced to play point guard at times due to injuries in the team’s backcourt. It didn’t stop the Cavaliers from competing at a high level. The Cavaliers finished the season with the best record in the NBA. Despite being the team’s point guard, James saw an increase in his scoring and playmaking.

James won 1,205 points with 116 first-place votes. Four votes went to Kevin Durant and three votes went to Dwight Howard. James had the best overall numbers, while Durant won the scoring race. Howard was the Defensive Player of the Year. The playoffs saw a disappointing loss in the second round, which helped launch his decision to leave the franchise.

2010-11 – 522 Points (MVP Race Finish: 3rd)

Season Statistics: 26.7 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 7.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG

James joined a Miami Heat that already had a Finals MVP in Dwyane Wade. Instead of wanting complete control of the team, Wade took a step back and let James be Batman. With the keys to the cave, James and Wade finished top-10 in the MVP race. While Wade was seventh, James let his skills show off to win third place.

Derrick Rose set an NBA record as the youngest MVP in league history at 22 years old and he secured 113 first-place votes. Howard received three votes but finished with 643 points to beat out James and his four first-place votes and 522 points.

2011-12 – 1,074 Points (MVP Race Finish: 1st)

Season Statistics: 27.1 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.8 BPG

After losing to the Mavericks in the NBA Finals, James was on a mission. The lockout-shortened season did not diminish any motivation. He wanted to win an NBA title. The Heat started the year 18-6 and never looked back as the team went all the way to the NBA Finals. James won his first Finals MVP Award, and it capped off a perfect year when he won the league MVP.

James battled Kevin Durant for the MVP Award. Durant led the league in scoring and ultimately led his OKC Thunder to the NBA Finals to take on James. Instead, James recorded 85 first-place votes to secure over 1,000 MVP points to stave off Durant’s 889 total points. Chris Paul, Tony Parker, and Kobe Bryant all received first-place votes this season as well.

2012-13 – 1,207 Points (MVP Race Finish: 1st)

Season Statistics: 26.8 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.9 BPG

It’s almost been 10 years since James won his last MVP Award, and it’s a season that is often debated. James was the best player in the league at this time. James led the Heat to a 27-game winning streak, which is the third-longest streak in NBA history. The team won a franchise-record 66 games, and he shot 56.5% from the field.

James received 120 first-place votes but missed out on one vote to become the first unanimous MVP winner. The one vote was awarded to Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks, who led the league in scoring. Speculation is that the one vote was still emotionally involved in James joining a super team. All in all, it didn’t matter in the overall standings as he stood over runner-up Durant’s 765 points.

2013-14 – 891 Points (MVP Race Finish: 2nd)

Season Statistics: 27.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.3 BPG

After falling behind Durant for so many years, Durant finally got the best of James. The two players flipped places in the standings as Durant won the MVP while James was the runner-up. Durant received 119 first-place votes while James received six. By this time, James was a two-time champion and there were suspicions that this could be the last dance.

Either way, James enjoyed a successful season. He scored a career-high and franchise-record 61 points in a game against the Bobcats. The Heat used 20 different lineups due to injuries, but James was the one constant that played 77 games. The Heat made the NBA Finals for the fourth year in a row but was defeated by the Spurs.

2014-15 – 552 Points (MVP Race Finish: 3rd)

Season Statistics: 25.3 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG

James turned back into a hero when he returned to the Cavaliers. He wanted to win a title for his franchise. Despite missing two weeks of the season due to an injury in his left knee and lower back, he placed in the top 3 in the MVP voting. He played a career-low 69 games but averaged a solid stat line.

James received first-place votes, but that was significantly behind the 25 votes of James Harden for second and the 100 first-place votes of Stephen Curry. The Warriors were electric this season and eventually faced James in the NBA Finals. The Warriors would win the title over James and the Cavaliers, but James was considered to be in the running for Finals MVP when he averaged 35.8 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 8.8 assists.

2015-16 – 631 Points (MVP Race Finish: 3rd)

Season Statistics: 25.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 6.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Curry became the first unanimous MVP in league history when he won all 131 first-place votes. It’s a title that James might have received a few years back, but that wasn’t on his mind. The two teams made it back to the NBA Finals to play each other, and a championship was on LeBron’s mind. James was able to lead the Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals, which included a triple-double in Game 7 to claim the 2016 championship.

The regular season was just as exciting. James was criticized for his role in the firing of David Blatt. Despite the distractions, the Cavaliers won 57 games and had the best record in the East. James nearly finished as the runner-up in the MVP voting but his 631 points were just behind the 634 points of Kawhi Leonard.

2016-17 – 333 Points (MVP Race Finish: 4th)

Season Statistics: 26.4 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 8.7 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.6 BPG

James Harden and Kawhi Leonard were a few names that were starting to finish in front of James as of recently. Both players would do it again as James would drop to fourth place. The winner of the MVP race would be Russell Westbrook, who averaged the first triple-double for a season since Oscar Robertson. Despite this historic accomplishment, there was one voter that gave James the first-place vote.

James had career-highs in rebounds, assists, and turnovers for the season. The Cavaliers finished with the second-best record in the East. The team returned to the NBA Finals, where he averaged a triple-double in the Finals.

2017-18 – 738 Points (MVP Race Finish: 2nd)

Season Statistics: 27.5 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 9.1 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.9 BPG

His final season with the Cavaliers was one of his best. There were two clear frontrunners for the MVP this season and that is why only two players received a first-place vote. James Harden won the MVP with 86 first-place votes. James received the other 15. The 965 points by Harden was a bit more than James, but the total James was also significantly higher than the 445 points of Anthony Davis who got third place.

The Cavaliers had a losing record at one point during the season, but the team turned it around to make the playoffs. The team made the NBA Finals for the fourth year in a row but was tested in five games. After the season, James opted out of his contract and became a free agent.

2018-19 – 1 Point (MVP Race Finish: 11T)

Season Statistics: 27.4 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.6 BPG

James joined the long legacy of Lakers players in the offseason. It would ultimately be one of the most challenging seasons of his career. James struggled with injuries and played in 55 games. At one point, he missed 17 straight games. The Lakers missed the playoffs as the team struggled to find effective starting lineups.

It was the first time since 2005 that James failed to make the playoffs. It was also the first time he failed to make the NBA Finals since 2010. Despite the inconsistent season, the league recognized the efforts of James and his importance to the team. He received an All-NBA Third Team nod and was given one first-place vote and tied Rudy Gobert for 11th in the voting.

2019-20 – 753 Points (MVP Race Finish: 2nd)

Season Statistics: 25.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 10.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.5 BPG

The Lakers knew that the team needed to give James some help. The team blew apart their roster and made a trade for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis. With the addition of Davis, the team had the best one-two punch in the league. The team rode their offensive and defensive skills to the NBA Finals to win the championship. The Lakers were a top defensive team, while James led the league in assists as he played a point-forward position.

It was the first time in his career that James averaged double-digit assists and led the league in assists. James received 16 first-place votes to finish second in the MVP voting, though. Milwaukee Bucks sensation Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks to win the MVP Award for the second year in a row. James got the last laugh as he won his fourth Finals MVP Award after defeating the Heat in the championship.

2020-21 – 1 Point (MVP Race Finish: 13T)

Season Statistics: 25.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 7.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.6 BPG

Antetokounmpo failed to win his third MVP in a row, while Nikola Jokic broke out as the next big name. Jokic won the league trophy with 91 first-place votes after averaging 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.3 assists, which included a three-point shooting clip of 38.8%. Meanwhile, James remained relevant in the MVP voting at 36 years old. The Lakers had a tough season though and finished the shortened season 42-30.

Due to multiple reasons, the Lakers were an easy out in the playoffs. For the regular season, James sank near the bottom of the voting but did receive one vote. He tied Kawhi Leonard and James Harden for 13th in the standings.

2021-22 – 1 Point (MVP Race Finish: 10T)

Season Statistics: 30.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 6.2 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.1 BPG

For the second year in a row, James saw his name on the voting list for receiving one point. While it was just one point, it was enough to keep a streak of always seeing his name on the MVP voting results. James tied Kevin Durant and DeMar DeRozan for 10th in the voting. While the Lakers failed to make the playoffs, James enjoyed a successful season at 37 years old.

He averaged at least 30 points per game for the first time since he won the scoring title. He had two games of 50 points in March, becoming the oldest player to have multiple 50-point games in a season and the first Laker to do that since Kobe Bryant in 2008. He finished the season with a box plus-minus of 7.6, which was first among players in his age group. All in all, his season was a success from an individual standpoint. 

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