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Many of the NBA MVP races in the 21st century have been far closer than expected. They have featured some of the greatest players in NBA history. Competition for the 2020-21 NBA MVP award promises to be far more exciting than the last couple of years. For now, we have Nikola Jokic, who finished 9th in 2019-20 voting, leading the race. The Serbian faces stiff competition from Eastern Conference Player of the Month - James Harden and Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid.
When we talk about the Most Valuable Player, it's hard to select a single one, given the abundance of talent in the NBA. However, with only one trophy to go around, it often comes down to consistency, availability and contribution to the team's overall success.
The 21st century's closest MVP races
Although a player's individual brilliance is important, his impact on the team's overall performance is given more consideration. With some of the greatest players in the game vying for this award, it's no surprise to see many of these races come down to the wire. In this article, we discuss 5 of the closest regular-season MVP races of this century.
#1 Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal in the 2004-05 season MVP race
The current head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, Steve Nash, put in an impressive shift during his time as an NBA player. He rose above all expectations and won back-to-back MVPs in 2005 and 2006. The newly traded point guard made the Phoenix Suns' roster whole, helping his team to a 62-20 run in the 2004-05 season. His impact on and execution of Mike D'Antoni's pick-and-roll offense was nothing short of inspirational. Nash finished the regular season with an average of 15.5 points, 11.5 assists and 43.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Shaquille O'Neal, who was also newly traded to the Miami Heat from the LA Lakers, did an impressive job leading the under-manned team to the Eastern Conference Finals. His team lost to the Detroit Pistons in a seven-game series, despite O'Neal's efforts on the offensive and defensive ends.
In perhaps one of the closest MVP races in NBA history, Steve Nash came out on top with a 2.6 percent margin. Nash received 83.9 percent of the possible MVP points (1066), while Shaq had 81.3 percent (1032).
#2 Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd in the 2001-02 season MVP race
Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd were considered lucky because the most worthy contender for the MVP award, Shaquille O'Neal of the LA Lakers, did not make any appearances due to injury. The 7'1" center was the early season favorite in the MVP race. However, nothing can be taken away from the high-flying performances of the two top contenders in the 2001-02 MVP race.
Duncan's San Antonio Spurs got off to a fantastic start to their season, winning 20 of their first 24 games. Powered by the performances of Tim Duncan, the Spurs finished second in the Western Conference. Even while playing with new teammates, he found a way to build team chemistry early on. Their amazing season was cut short when they faced the Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. Tim Duncan averaged 25.5 PPG and 12.7 RPG.
Meanwhile, the Jason Kidd-led New Jersey Nets topped the Eastern Conference table. The newly acquired point guard finished the regular season with 14.7 PPG, 2.1 SPG and 9.9 APG. Coincidentally, his team also lost to the Lakers, albeit in the NBA Finals. There was not much that either team could do about the Lakers' dominant shooting guard and center pairing.
Tim Duncan came out on top to win the MVP race by a 4.6 percent margin. Of the maximum 1260 voting points, Duncan received 954 (75.7 percent), while Jason Kidd received 897 (71.2 percent).
#3 Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett in the 2002-03 season MVP race
Tim Duncan dominated the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, winning the NBA MVP title for the second straight season. Duncan did enough to lead the team to a 60-22 run in the Western Conference and entered the Playoffs as the number one seed. The power forward is one of the few players to win back-to-back MVP races and the Finals MVP trophy in the same season. He averaged 23.3 PPG and 12.9 RPG.
Kevin Garnett was not on the top ten list in the MVP race in the 2001-02 season. Garnett was a different player in the new season, helping his team advance to the postseason as the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Although the team was knocked out in the first round of the Playoffs, they put up a great performance. However, it wasn't enough to topple the defending champions - the Los Angeles Lakers.
Tim Duncan won the MVP race over Kevin Garnett by a 7.6 percent margin. He secured 962 of the 1190 points available. Garnett, who averaged 23 PPG and 13.4 RPG, had 871 points.
#4 Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash in the 2006-07 season MVP race
In the 2006-07 season, Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks were flying. The team looked to better their 2005-06 season record of 60-22. The Mavericks finished runners-up in the 2006 NBA finals, and the team's star man finished third in the MVP race. He eventually won the award over Steve Nash by a 9.6 percent margin in the 2006-07 season, following an impressive 67-15 regular-season run. Dirk averaged 24.6 PPG and 8.6 RPG. He secured 1138 of the 1290 available points in the MVP race.
Steve Nash finished a close second with 1013 points in the MVP race. Even as he recorded a season double-double in points and assists, it wasn't enough to topple the power forward for the Dallas Mavericks. Nash was instrumental in his team's second-place finish during the regular season. The point guard averaged 18.6 PPG and an astounding 11.6 APG.
#5 Russell Westbrook and James Harden in the 2016-17 season MVP race
This was arguably one of the fiercest MVP races in the NBA. Both players were incredible on both offense and defense, helping their respective teams to advance to the Playoffs. The former teammates gave it their all as they posted record-breaking numbers. Russell Westbrook won the MVP race by a 13.3 percent margin after ending the season averaging a triple-double. He now holds the record for most triple-doubles in a season. Westbrook ended the season with 31.6 PPG, 10.7 RPG, and 10.4 APG.
James Harden finished the race a close second, averaging 29.1 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 11.2 APG for the Houston Rockets. 'The Beard' also helped his team to a third-place finish in the Western Conference. With the achievements and record-breaking season that Harden had, it was surprising that he did not win the MVP race. It goes to show just how impressive Westbrook's historical season was.
Guess the Lakers players!
