NBA players who won MVP and DPOY same year are Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Jordan did it first in 1988.
The NBA is a league full of outstanding players who have amazed the whole world with their phenomenal basketball skills en route to creating several records and tons of historical moments.
Achieving the Defensive Player of the Year accolade is just as impressive as earning the Most Valuable Player award. However, only three players have achieved the remarkable accomplishment of winning both trophies in the same year.
MJ, Olajuwon, and Giannis have done something truly remarkable, and successfully itched their name into the history books with golden letters.
Their ability for achievement on both ends of the court at once serves as an ongoing symbol of the talent and athleticism that define the NBA.
Michael Jordan (1987-88)
Widely regarded as the greatest basketball player to grace the court, Michael Jordan won his first MVP and DPOY award in the 1987-88 season.
MJ was a rare player in NBA history to earn the DPOY award while averaging 30 or more points per game. In the 1987–88 season, Jordan put on a show averaging 35 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 3.2 steals per game.
In 1988, he became the first guard to ever win the DPOY award, and Gary Payton earned it in 1996, recognizing Jordan’s defensive excellence.
MJ won his second MVP in the 1990-91 season after averaging 31.5 points per game on 53.9% shooting, 6 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.
With 61 victories in the regular season, Chicago Bulls set a franchise record and took first place in their division for the first time in sixteen years.
Michael was ranked second behind Babe Ruth on the Associated Press’s list of the century’s finest athletes in 1999 and was chosen the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN.
Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94)
Hakeem Olajuwon became the second player in NBA history after Jordan to win both the MVP and Dpoy honors in the 1993–94 season.
Olajuwon won two NBA Championship titles in 1994 and 1995 with Houston Rockets. He was voted the NBA Finals MVP on both occasions.
Hakeem had a triple-double on 1st December 1994, scoring 37 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and giving out 12 assists in a 113-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
With consistent top-notch performance over the years, Olajuwon established himself as one of the greatest centers in the history of basketball.
In the 1995 Playoffs, Hakeem had an average of 10.3 rebounds, 2.81 blocks, and 33 points per game. Like in 1994, he was the only All-Star for the Rockets.
Moreover, Olajuwon was selected as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. Most notably, he is also a 12-time NBA All-Star.
He was also selected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. The NBA 75th Anniversary Team selected Olajuwon in October 2021, recognizing him as one of the greatest players in league history.
The 7 feet tall center finished his career as the NBA’s all-time leader in blocks and is one of just four players to ever record a quadruple-double.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019-20)
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo became only the third player in NBA history to win both MVP and Dpoy awards in the 2019-20 season.
Power forward Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Bucks experienced a period of constant team success beginning with the 2018–19 season.
Giannis opened the 2019-20 season with a triple-double scoring 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 117-111 victory over the Rockets.
With a career-high 5 three-pointers, Antetokounmpo helped Milwaukee defeat the Lakers, the top seed in the Western Conference, and led the Bucks to their first championship since 1971.
For the second year in a row, LeBron James and Antetokounmpo were selected as the All-Star Game captains on January 23, 2020.
Giannis won the MVP award for the NBA Finals in 2021. He became the third player under the age of 30 to win the MVP over the course of the previous 40 seasons, behind LeBron James and Derrick Rose.
NBA players with MVP and Finals MVP
NBA MVP and Finals MVP list includes:
- Michael Jordan: 5 NBA MVP and 6 Finals MVP
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 6 NBA MVP and 2 Finals MVP
- LeBron James: 4 NBA MVP and 4 Finals MVP
- Magic Johnson: 3 NBA MVP and 3 Finals MVP
- Larry Bird: 3 NBA MVP and 2 Finals MVP
- Tim Duncan: 2 NBA MVP and 3 Finals MVP
- Shaquille O’Neal: 1 NBA MVP and 3 Finals MVP
- Giannis Antetokounmpo: 2 NBA MVP and 1 Finals MVP
- Hakeem Olajuwon: 1 NBA MVP and 3 Finals MVP
The NBA MVP and Finals MVP are two highest-profile personal and Michael Jordan, the league’s all-time great, has won a total of five regular season Most Valuable Player awards and six Finals MVPs.
Jordan was awarded finals MVP six times while leading the Chicago Bulls to NBA titles. MJ played in the NBA for 14 seasons and was awarded MVP of the All-Star game three times. Additionally, he led the NBA in scoring ten times and in steals three times.
Six times in a row, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar received the NBA Most Valuable Player honor five with LA Lakers and one with Milwaukee Bucks. He also twice received the Finals MVP honor. Pat Riley, Isiah Thomas, and Julius Erving all have described him as the greatest player ever.
One of the greatest point guards of all time LeBron James ranks fourth in career assists and is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He has earned four Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards and four Finals MVP Awards.
Also, King James has won four NBA titles, two with the Miami Heat, one with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and one with the Los Angeles Lakers. James has been selected to the NBA All-Star team 17 times and has made the First Team of the All-NBA 13 times.
NBA Defensive Player of the Year Winners
NBA defensive player of the Year list:
- Jaren Jackson Jr. – 2023
- Marcus Smart – 2022
- Rudy Gobert – 2021
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – 2020
- Rudy Gobert – 2019
- Rudy Gobert – 2018
- Draymond Green – 2017
- Kawhi Leonard – 2016
- Kawhi Leonard – 2015
- Joakim Noah – 2014
- Marc Gasol – 2013
Jaren Jackson Jr of the Memphis Grizzlies won defensive player of the Year NBA 2023. The Block Panther had an excellent season en route to being named first NBA All-Star Game as a Western Conference backup forward.
Marcus Smart was announced as the 2021-22 NBA Defensive Player of the Year becoming the first guard to receive the honor since Gary Payton in 1996. Additionally, he was chosen for the NBA All-Defensive First Team after getting the most first-place votes of any player.
Rudy Gobert earned the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award three consecutive times in 2018, 2019, and 2021. Rudy was the third Utah Jazz player to ever receive two All-Defensive First Team selections when he was chosen to the NBA All-Defensive First Team in May 2018.
Giannis Antetokounmpo won the 2020 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award for his defensive play, and he has since established himself as a regular NBA All-Defensive selection.