Quiz: How Fast Can You Name Every NBA Finals MVP Since 2000?

Show us how well you know the NBA and list out all 17 players.

Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns and guard Jose Alvarado help the team lift the trophy after defeating the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

We’re three games into the 2026 NBA Finals and the series between the Knicks and Spurs remains wide open—as does the race for the next NBA Finals MVP.

The Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award—named for the groundbreaking Celtics legend in 2009—has been awarded to some of the greatest players in league history, with Michael Jordan (six-time winner), Magic Johnson (three), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (two) and Larry Bird (two) all being among the 12 multi-time winners. The list of winners since 2000 also features a number of all-time greats, as well as some surprises and controversial selections.

Are you a true NBA diehard who can race through the NBA Finals MVP winners since the turn of the millennium? Find out by taking our quiz below!

The race for 2026 Finals MVP can go in a few different directions through four games.

New York struck first, with a pair of road wins to open a 2–0 lead, and are now up 3–1 after an epic Game 4 comeback. Karl-Anthony Towns garnered early MVP hype for his impressive defense on Victor Wembanyama in Games 1 and 2, and his important role as a facilitator in the Knicks offense. OG Anunoby has also taken some of the Wemby assignment, has been perhaps New York’s most reliable offensive weapon and was the hero of Game 4 with his block on De’Aaron Fox and tip-in game-winner in the final seconds.

And then, of course, there’s Jalen Brunson, who has fought through injury and very physical play from San Antonio to average 29.5 points through the first four games of the series, even if its come with a heavy shooting volume.

If the Spurs come back to win after going down 3–1 at Madison Square Garden, it will almost certainly be on the back of Wembanyama, who had an impressive 32 point night, with eight rebounds, six assists and three blocks in Game 3, but has been up and down otherwise.

Which of these 2026 Finals stars will take home the MVP? We’ll find out by the end of next week.

2026 NBA Finals: Knicks vs. Spurs schedule

Victor Wembanyama is in the process of adding his name to the long list of Knicks villains after a big performance during Game 3 of the NBA Finals at Madison Square Garden. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

All games during the series have tipoffs listed at 8:30 p.m. ET. ABC will broadcast every game of the series.

Game	Date	Venue	Result
1	Wednesday, June 3	Front Bank Center	Knicks 105, Spurs 95
2	Friday, June 5	Front Bank Center	Knicks 105, Spurs 104
3	Monday, June 8	Madison Square Garden	Spurs 115, Knicks 111
4	Wednesday, June 10	Madison Square Garden	Knicks 107, Spurs 106
5	Saturday, June 13	Front Bank Center	TBD
6 (if necessary)	Tuesday, June 16	Madison Square Garden	TBD
7 (if necessary)	Friday, June 19	Front Bank Center	TBD

The Knicks stole home court advantage from the Spurs by winning a pair of road games to open the series, and rebounded to win Game 4 at Madison Square Garden, putting them just one win away from taking home their first NBA championship since 1973.

To pull off a comeback now, the Spurs would be making serious history. Teams have come back from down 2–0 to win the NBA Finals, but no team has done so after losing the first two games of a series at home. And just one team has rebounded from a 3–1 deficit to win the title: the Cavaliers against the Warriors in 2016. The Spurs have been great at rebounding from adversity through these playoffs, but bouncing back from a 29-point blown lead will be very difficult. The Knicks will be absolutely fired up and looking to close things out in Game 5.

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