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Individual NBA awards are a mark of excellence in performance throughout the course of a season by a player. The most commonly known one is the NBA MVP award, given to the player who provides most value to the team they belong to.
Similar to the title of scoring champion, there is an award crediting the best defensive performance throughout the season referred to as the Defensive Player of the Year award. As far as playoff performances go, other than the NBA title, one player is handed the Finals MVP award for their performance and role in the NBA Finals.
Every NBA award is a major accomplishment in the career of any basketball player. However, there are a few players who are capable of collecting a wide array of awards in the course of their career.
Keeping in mind the level of difficulty of these achievements, we list the only three NBA players who have won MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently one of the best players in the NBA. An absolute physical specimen standing at 6'11" with the athleticism and agility of a guard, Giannis is a force to be reckoned with.
Fresh off his championship run with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo won his first Finals MVP to join elite company. Along with his Finals MVP, Giannis is also a two-time NBA MVP and the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year.
Giannis won his first MVP award in the 2018-19 season at the age of 24. He is one of three players to win the accolade before the age of 26, the other two being Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James.
In the 2018-19 season, Giannis averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. He also led the Milwaukee Bucks to the playoffs with a record of 60-22, the best record in the Eastern Conference.
The following season, Giannis Antetokounmpo won back-to-back NBA MVP and also won the Defensive Player of the Year award. He averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. The Bucks ended the regular-season with a record of 57-16 and were top of the table in the East again.
While neither of his MVP seasons resulted in a successful postseason, after finally winning his first NBA title in the 2020-21 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is gearing up to repeat his success in the playoffs.
#2 Hakeem Olajuwon
Hakeem Olajuwon is widely regarded as the best post player and one of the best centers of all time. Listed at 7'0" tall, Hakeem is also the NBA's leader in blocked shots.
Hakeem was exceptionally talented when it came to performing on both ends of the floor. His smooth footwork and speed helped him become one of the toughest players to guard. His agility and athleticism allowed him to guard multiple positions and dominate on the rebounding front.
Hakeem Olajuwon played the majority of his career with the Houston Rockets, and he spent his final NBA season with the Toronto Raptors. In a career spanning 18 years, he won two NBA titles and Finals MVP awards with the Rockets, two Defensive Player of the Year honors and he also won the 1993-94 NBA MVP award.
In his MVP season, Hakeem recorded an average of 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and a whopping 3.7 blocks per game while leading the Rockets to a 58-24 record. They went on to beat the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals this season.
#3 Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time. One of the most skilled offensive players coming into the league, Jordan was just as brilliant on the defensive end.
Michael Jordan was the complete basketball player. He could do everything that was necessary to win and he could produce at an elite level. He amassed ten scoring titles to pair with his nine All-Defensive team selections. He was also named Defensive Player of the Year for the 1987-88 season.
He won five NBA MVP awards over the course of his career. However, his crowning achievement has to be six NBA titles with Finals MVP awards in each of them. With three-peats in each of his spells in the NBA Finals, Michael Jordan has an unbeaten record.
Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls dominated the 90's. Listed as one of the greatest teams of all time, Jordan and the Bulls would also post the greatest regular-season record of 72-10 in 1995-96, until it was broken by the Golden State Warriors in the 2015-16 season.
