Stephen Curry vs NBA World: Ex Players Who Came Close To Unanimously Winning MVP Award
Let's shift our focus on "other" greats who came very close to winning the MVP award with unanimity.
Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry broke and made several records this season on his way to winning his second MVP award. But arguably the most important of all of them is winning the MVP distinction unanimously. What makes it the most memorable? Well, it's the first ever unanimous vote in the history of the league.
Even legends like Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,and Larry Bird failed to get a unanimous vote, so Curry's legacy and entry to the Hall of Fame is almost guaranteed. While everyone is debating whether Curry played the best season in history, let's shift our focus on "other" greats who came very close to winning the MVP award with unanimity.
Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls (1995-1996)
109 out of 113 votes
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For those who live and breathe NBA, there is an unwritten rule to avoid comparing his "Airness" to any player in history, and that's because he's arguably the greatest to ever play the game. But for the sake of history, it's worthy of mention that long before Curry terrorized defenders with his combination of ball handling and deadly outside shooting, Jordan was the one who almost got a unanimous vote for MVP during the magical and legendary 1995-1996 season for the Bulls. The team won 72 games that season, a record that was eventually broken by Curry and the Warriors this season.
According to CBS Sports, perhaps the only reason why Jordan didn't win it unanimously was because the four individuals who did not vote for him may have been influenced by some kind of agenda. But if there is one man who deserves it more than anyone else prior to Curry, it would be the 1995-1996 Jordan.
Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers (1999-2000)
120 out of 121 votes
Shaq is hands down the most dominant inside player in the modern era of basketball. Aside from guiding the Los Angeles Lakers to multiple championships during his days playing with Kobe Bryant, he also almost became the first ever player to win the MVP on a unanimous vote back in the 1999-2000 season. It may have hurt a lot more compared to Jordan because O'Neal came one vote short of getting it. That one vote went to another legend in Allen Iverson. Shaq averaged 29 points and 13 rebounds that season, including 3.0 blocks per game.
Larry Bird, Boston Celtics (1984-1985)
73 out of 78 votes
Although Bird did not win the MVP on a unanimous vote, he did win it three consecutive times from 1983 to 1986, and what's even more amazing is that he got majority of the votes and dominated the league in those three seasons. For the 1984-1985 season, the five other votes went to Magic Johnson with one, and Terry Cummings and Michael Jordan with two each. Even though he did not come as close as Shaq and Jordan, Bird still will be known as one of the best passers in the history in the league. What makes him distinct over Jordan, Shaq, and Curry is the fact that he wasn't fancy and did not have the athleticism of the three. He dominated the league with his smarts and cleverness on the floor.
