The Most First-Place MVP Votes Since 2000: LeBron James Has Over 200 Votes More Than Stephen Curry

Winning the MVP Award is the most fantastic regular-season accolade for players. It shows that they are the most valuable player on the team and the player who had the most impactful season. Looking back at past MVP winners, every player who has won the award is almost a guaranteed Hall of Famer and was a bona fide superstar player at some point. Looking back at the past two decades in the NBA, starting specifically from the 2020 season, players accumulated the most first-place MVP votes and total points.

With respect to their achievements, here are the top-10 MVP first-place vote-getters over the last two decades. By the end of this article, it might become clear which player was the most dominant in that era of professional basketball. Looking back over the past decade, the MVP award races have been historic. There have been a host of players per season who legitimately deserved to win the award, but there could only be one winner. Here is an indication of MVP races during the past 20 years, with the leading vote-getter capturing the individual award. But again, this will focus on first-place vote-getters.

10. Tim Duncan – 136

First Place Votes Breakdown: 136 (San Antonio Spurs)

Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward ever, and the player that kicks off the list for the players with the most first-place MVP votes over the last two decades. The Big Fundamental averaged 18.8 PPG, 10.7 RPG, and 2.1 BPG while shooting 50.3% from the field. Duncan was terrific at scoring inside and from the block but was mainly a defensive enforcer and leader. No matter which way one looked at it, Duncan was an MVP favorite every year.

What hurt Duncan’s MVP chances (despite the fact he won 2 awards) was the fact that his style of play was considered “boring”. He did not make spectacular plays, played below-the-rim, and was a team player in terms of an individual superstar. Unlike other stars on this list, Duncan was a team-first player who sacrificed his own numbers for the sake of maximizing the likes of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Kawhi Leonard around him.

9. Kevin Durant – 147

First Place Votes Breakdown: 147 (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Durant is arguably the second greatest player in the 2010s era, capturing an MVP and winning 2 NBA championships with 2 Finals MVP awards. With 4 scoring titles to his name, Durant remains the most accomplished scorer of his era. Of course, by scoring the ball as efficiently as he does, Durant accumulated a ton of first-place MVP votes. Amazingly, they came when he was a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder and not when he was with the Golden State Warriors.

Playing alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson took away his first-place MVP votes because he was not as valuable as other players competing on other teams. Even if the Warriors did not have Durant, they would have still been good enough to win enough games and compete for the championship. That hurt his MVP chances and first-place votes as a whole, but he still accumulated 147 points as the undisputed best player on the Oklahoma City Thunder team.

8T. James Harden – 156

First Place Votes Breakdown: 156 (Houston Rockets)

James Harden might be the best isolation scorer of all time, particularly by dominating the 2010s, as he has 3 scoring titles to his name with possibly the best handles at the shooting guard position ever. Harden has an MVP and finished second in MVP voting a few times in his career behind guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo. In terms of first-place MVP votes, The Beard ranks 8th all-time, which is extremely impressive.

Harden did most of his damage with the Houston Rockets, dominating the court on the offensive end and despite his rather below-average defense, his numbers were off the charts. James even had a season when he posted an unbelievable 36.1 PPG in the 2019 season and even led the NBA in APG in 2017 when he posted 11.2 APG. In terms of his raw offensive superstar presence only, Harden received a ton of first-place votes.

8T. Nikola Jokic – 156

First Place Votes Breakdown: 156 (Denver Nuggets)

Nikola Jokic won the award this past year in back-to-back fashion, joining a select few players to ever achieve this feat. The superstar center won his first award by averaging 26.4 PPG, 10.8 RPG, and 8.3 APG for the Denver Nuggets. The following season, in 2022, Jokic posted 27.1 PPG, 13.8 RPG, and 7.9 APG while shooting 58.3% from the field, 33.7% from three, and 81.0% from the line.

Jokic could be the best passing big man in NBA history, which is an incredible feat to witness. The Serbian superstar can make any pass at any time and is particularly effective at rebounding the ball and pushing the fast break to set up his teammates for shots. Of course, he is also a beast inside the paint, because, at 6’11” and 284 lbs, he is an immovable force with tremendous skills. Due to his ridiculous stat lines season after season, he has accumulated 165 first-place MVP votes.

6. Steve Nash – 166

First Place Votes Breakdown: 166 (Phoenix Suns)

Even with 2 MVP award wins in 2005 and 2006, Steve Nash is 6th on this list in terms of first-place MVP votes. Other than these 2 seasons, Nash didn’t have a shot at MVP, which explains why he is behind the other 5 Hall of Famers in the past two decades. Many people even believed that Nash took one of Kobe Bryant’s MVP awards, as the voting was skewed due to Nash’s playmaking and ability to handle the ball on almost every possession.

No doubt, Steve Nash is one of the best floor generals of all time and his efficiency as a ball-handler and shooter is of all-time great status. The superstar point guard shot 43.1% from three since 2020 and also added 15.6 PPG and 9.4 APG. Nash is truly one-of-a-kind and a fan-favorite player because his playing style complemented the likes of Amar’e Stoudemire extremely well under the famous 7 seconds or less offense run by head coach Mike D’Antoni.

5. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 173

First Place Votes Breakdown: 173 (Milwaukee Bucks)

In the 2020s so far, Giannis Antetokounmpo has the most MVP votes over the past 2 years. After all, he is a 2-time MVP having led the Bucks to the best record in the East during his two successful campaigns. Giannis Antetokounmpo is unlike any star we have seen before because his raw athleticism and tremendous length allow him to affect the game in all areas. Since winning his two MVP awards, he has not stopped his production.

In fact, The Greek Freak has elevated his play by starting to show some semblance of a jump shot. He has also continued his dominance by being an elite defensive player in terms of versatility, defending perimeter players such as guards and also defending other big men. By playing on a championship-contending Milwaukee Bucks squad and even winning the 2021 NBA championship, The Greek Freak has had enough team wins and individual stats to constantly receive first-place votes.

4. Kevin Garnett – 179

First Place Votes Breakdown: 164 (Minnesota Timberwolves), 15 (Boston Celtics)

The Big Ticket himself, Kevin Garnett, was an absolute superstar during his time with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He accumulated 164 first-place MVP votes with the Timberwolves and even won the MVP award in 2004 by leading his side to the best record in the Western Conference. KG’s MVP season was terrific as he posted 24.2 PPG, 13.9 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 2.2 BPG. As a two-way star and leader, Garnett was truly one-of-a-kind in his position.

Even when he joined the Boston Celtics at age 31, he was accumulating MVP votes despite playing alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, who were also stars. Garnett was a force scoring the ball and also defending the rim, and we have not seen a player with his type of passionate approach to the game since he retired. In terms of total first-place MVP votes, The Big Ticket ranks 4th among this list of extremely talented players and Hall of Famers.

3. Shaquille O’Neal – 203

First Place Votes Breakdown: 145 (Los Angeles Lakers), 58 (Miami Heat)

The most dominant physical force in NBA history since Wilt Chamberlain, Shaquille O’Neal, was a force in the paint and a stalwart in MVP conversations. Somehow, The Diesel only won 1 MVP award despite leading the league in scoring twice and also spearheading the best team in the NBA for years with the Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, Shaq won 3 straight championships and Finals MVP awards with the Purple and Gold alongside star shooting guard Kobe Bryant.

There was simply no answer for O’Neal because he was too big, too strong, and far too violent to handle. Shaq used his force to throw down dunks and punish defenders, often getting them in foul trouble. Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat following the 2004 season, and even as he was slightly older and slower, he still accumulated 58 first-place votes despite being a sidekick to Dwyane Wade. Even though he only won one MVP award, he ranks 3rd all-time in first-place MVP votes as a member of the Lakers.

2. Stephen Curry – 236

First Place Votes Breakdown: 236 (Golden State Warriors)

The greatest shooter ever, Stephen Curry finished 2nd among all players over the last two decades in terms of first-place MVP award votes. The point guard is a media darling because his playing style has changed the NBA to the way it is today and he makes it look so effortless. Curry single-handedly added the three-point shot to almost every player’s arsenal, but nobody does it as well as the Warriors star.

Since 2000, Curry has accumulated 236 first-place votes because his three-point shot is so deadly and his team was simply one of the best ever. The Warriors were built around Curry’s (and Klay Thompson’s) shooting, as the rest of the roster was filled with defensive-minded role players and leaders. Steph is one of the faces of the NBA, but even he is way behind the first-place vote-getter in terms of total MVP award votes.

1. LeBron James – 494

First Place Votes Breakdown: 263 (Cleveland Cavaliers), 215 (Miami Heat), 16 (Los Angeles Lakers)

There is no doubt who the greatest player of the 2010s is, and also the face of the NBA until this day. LeBron James has arguably achieved the most of any player during the past two seasons, capturing 4 NBA championships and 4 Finals MVPs to go along with 4 MVPs. James is continuing to defy logic by remaining dominant for this long, but his dominance during the 2010s era stood out the most. The King has over double the number of MVP votes over second-place Stephen Curry.

James is a statistical darling, obviously, because he is a triple-double threat in terms of scoring, rebounding, and passing the ball. At 6’9” and 250 lbs, James is a force when he attacks the rim and also when going after boards. The King has accumulated an almost equal number of first-place votes as a member of the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, and he even managed 16 first-place votes despite only having one good season with the franchise. The NBA is still The King’s world, and his first-place MVP votes show that. 

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