NBA's Youngest MVPs

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
May 4, 2011

NBA's Youngest MVPs

Derrick Rose (age 22)

At almost exactly 22 years and 5 months old, Derrick Rose became the league's youngest MVP in history, supplanting Wes Unseld and becoming the second Bulls player to win the award since five-time winner Michael Jordan. Rose averaged 25 points and 7.7 assists during the regular season, leading Chicago (62-20) to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and a vote from many as a title favorite.

Wes Unseld (age 23)

As a rookie in 1969, Unseld earned both Rookie of the Year and MVP honors, averaging 13.8 points and 18.2 rebounds while leading the Bullets to a division title.

Bob McAdoo (23)

McAdoo enjoyed the finest season of his career as a 23-year-old star with the Buffalo Braves, leading the league in scoring (34.5) and total rebounds (1,155). He'd later achieve his other dream, winning not one but two championships, both while with the "Showtime" Lakers squads of the 1980s.

Bob Pettit (24)

In only his second season, Pettit led the league in scoring (25.7) and rebounding (16.2) on his way to claiming the league's inaugural MVP award. He would go on to capture the award again after the 1958-59 season.

Bill Russell (24)

In his first full NBA season, Russell, 24, led the NBA in rebounding (22.7), including one contest in which he grabbed 49 boards. That wasn't enough for a championship, however, as Boston was upset by St. Louis in the Finals. Russell would go on to win four more MVP trophies.

Wilt Chamberlain (23)

At 23, Chamberlain took the league by storm, winning Rookie of the Year, All-Star Game MVP and league MVP. Incredibly, he averaged 37.6 points and 27.0 rebounds in leading the Warriors to the Eastern Division finals, before falling to Bill Russell and the Celtics. Wilt would go on to win three more MVP awards before retiring in 1973.

Oscar Robertson (25)

The Big O claimed his only MVP award at 25, leading his Cincinnati Royals to a 55-25 record, good enough for second place in the East. He led the league in assists (11.0) and free throw percentage (85.3) and ranked second in scoring (31.4).

Lew Alcindor (24)

Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) led the '70-71 Bucks to the championship in only his second season. He won his first scoring title (31.7) and finished fourth in rebounding (16.0) on his way to the first of a record six MVP awards.

Dave Cowens (24)

Two years after he won Rookie of the Year as the fourth overall pick out of Florida State, Cowens averaged 20.5 points and 16.2 rebounds while helping the Celtics to an NBA-best 68-14 record. His league MVP and All-Star Game MVP honors that season were the only time he won the awards.

Moses Malone (24)

It took until 1981 for Malone to lead his Rockets to the NBA Finals, but he was recognized as the league's top player two years earlier. The former ABA standout averaged 25.8 points and a league-leading 17.6 rebounds in the first of his three MVP seasons.

LeBron James (24)

His first MVP award was a milestone in an already illustrious career for LeBron. The then Cavs' superstar garnered his first trophy as he led his team in all five major categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks), becoming only the fourth player in NBA history to accomplish the feat. The following season, James became only the 10th player in league history to win the award in consecutive years.

Bill Walton (25)

Even with a broken foot forcing him to miss 24 games, the 25-year-old Walton still earned MVP honors. He averaged 18.9 points and 13.2 rebounds for the Blazers.

Michael Jordan (25)

After being denied the 1986-87 MVP despite averaging 37.1 points, Jordan won both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year the following season. His Airness averaged 35.0 points (on 53.5 percent shooting) and 3.2 steals for the Bulls, who had their first 50-win seasons since 1973-74.