The 2023 NBA Finals are over, with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets crowned as the champions of the league this season. As expected, Jokic dominated in the NBA Finals and never allowed the Miami Heat to have a chance of making a comeback.
Jokic averaged 30.2 PPG, 14.0 RPG, and 7.2 APG while shooting 58.3% from the field and 42.1% from beyond the three-point line to win the NBA Finals MVP award. Speaking of which, Jokic became the sixth different player to win the honor in the past six seasons.
The last six NBA Finals are Kevin Durant (2018), Kawhi Leonard (2019), LeBron James (2020), Giannis Antetokounmpo (2021), Stephen Curry (2022), and Nikola Jokic (2023). NBA fans on Twitter recently got into a debate to crown the best Finals MVP over the last six seasons.
A fan tweeted Giannis deserves that honor because he played through an injury in the 2021 NBA Finals.
A fan thinks it’s LeBron James.
Another fan made the case for Antetokounmpo with a highlight reel.
A fan thinks it’s between Stephen Curry and Giannis.
A fan ranked the last six NBA Finals MVPs in order.
Most fans agreed that Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best NBA Finals MVP over the past six seasons, while the majority put Kevin Durant at the bottom.
A Look At The Stats Of The Last Six NBA Finals MVPs
Winning the NBA Finals is always a great honor. However, winning a ring while being the best player in the series is an even better feeling. With that being said, let’s take a look at how the last six NBA Finals MVPs performed.
Starting things off with Kevin Durant, he averaged 29.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 7.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, and 2.3 BPG while shooting 52.6% from the field and 40.9% from downtown. Durant led the Golden State Warriors to a 4-0 series win vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers and won the second NBA Finals MVP of his career.
In 2019, Kawhi Leonard had arguably one of the best runs in the playoffs with the Toronto Raptors. Leonard and the Raptors won vs. the Warriors in six games. He averaged 28.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.2 APG, 2.0 SPG, and 1.2 BPG. Leonard shot 43.4% from the field and 35.7% from the three-point line to win the second NBA Finals MVP of his career.
At 35 years old, LeBron James helped the Los Angeles Lakers in winning the 2020 NBA Finals in six games against the Miami Heat. James averaged 29.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 8.5 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 0.5 BPG while shooting 59.1% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the three-point line. James took home the fourth NBA Finals MVP of his career while becoming the first player in NBA history to win the honor with three different franchises (Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers).
Giannis Antetokounmpo quieted his babbling haters after an unbelievable performance in the 2021 NBA Finals. The Antetokounmpo-led Milwaukee Bucks won the series 4-2 after erasing a 0-2 deficit against the Phoenix Suns. Giannis recorded 35.2 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.8 BPG, along with shooting 61.8% from the field and 20.0% from downtown. Antetokounmpo won the first NBA Finals MVP of his career.
The Boston Celtics had no answer for Stephen Curry in the 2022 NBA Finals. Curry led the Dubs to a 4-2 series win against the Celtics. In the process, Steph averaged 31.2 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, and 0.2 BPG. Curry shot 48.2% from the field and 43.7% from the three-point line. Steph finally won the first NBA Finals MVP of his career after winning the fourth NBA title of his career.
Nikola Jokic became the most recent superstar to win the first NBA Finals MVP of his career. The Joker led the Nuggets to a 4-1 gentleman’s sweep over the Miami Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals. Jokic averaged 30.2 PPG, 14.0 RPG, 7.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, and 1.4 BPG. The 28-year-old shot 58.3% from the field while shooting 42.1% from downtown.
While winning the NBA Finals MVP is a great honor, Jokic has apparently already lost his trophy. He’s truly a unique superstar, and fans surely love his goofy nature. Now, the question is whether he can defend his NBA Championship heading into the 2023-24 season.
