Most NBA fans argue the tier 1 greats. Michael Jordan vs. Lebron James vs. Kobe Bryant. But what about those tier 2 greats, who just never made it tier 1? I give you the Mount Rushmore of NBA Players to Never Win MVP.
Patrick Ewing
Patrick Ewing dominated the 80s and 90s and made being a Knicks fan cool. He averaged over 20 points per game for 13 straight seasons including his best season in 1989 where he averaged 29 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks, and shot 55% from the field. He finished 5th in MVP voting that season behind Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, and Karl Malone.
Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor is considered one of the greatest players of all time and if you see his stats you would understand why. Baylor had 7 straight seasons of averaging over 25 points and 12 rebounds. In 1961 he averaged 35 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 assists. He finished 3rd in MVP voting that season behind Bill Russell and Bob Pettit.
Dwyane Wade
The beloved Dwyane Wade averaged over 20 points for 9 straight seasons including leading the league in 2008. That season he averaged 30 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals. He finished 3rd in MVP voting that season behind Lebron James and Kobe Bryant.
Jerry West
Wait, the logo hasn’t won an MVP? Nah! Jerry West has the most interesting NBA career of any player. West finished second in MVP voting 4 times including 3 seasons in a row. In his best season, he averaged 31 points (led the NBA), 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. He would finish 2nd behind Willis Reed.
Leave a Reply