Listing the only 3 NBA players to win MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors
Individual NBA awards are a mark of excellence in performance throughout the course of a season by a player. The most commonly known one is the NBA MVP award, given to the player who provides most value to the team they belong to.
Similar to the title of scoring champion, there is an award crediting the best defensive performance throughout the season referred to as the Defensive Player of the Year award. As far as playoff performances go, other than the NBA title, one player is handed the Finals MVP award for their performance and role in the NBA Finals.
Every NBA award is a major accomplishment in the career of any basketball player. However, there are a few players who are capable of collecting a wide array of awards in the course of their career.
Keeping in mind the level of difficulty of these achievements, we list the only three NBA players who have won MVP, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors.
#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently one of the best players in the NBA. An absolute physical specimen standing at 6'11" with the athleticism and agility of a guard, Giannis is a force to be reckoned with.
Fresh off his championship run with the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo won his first Finals MVP to join elite company. Along with his Finals MVP, Giannis is also a two-time NBA MVP and the 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year.
Giannis won his first MVP award in the 2018-19 season at the age of 24. He is one of three players to win the accolade before the age of 26, the other two being Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James.
In the 2018-19 season, Giannis averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. He also led the Milwaukee Bucks to the playoffs with a record of 60-22, the best record in the Eastern Conference.
The following season, Giannis Antetokounmpo won back-to-back NBA MVP and also won the Defensive Player of the Year award. He averaged 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. The Bucks ended the regular-season with a record of 57-16 and were top of the table in the East again.
While neither of his MVP seasons resulted in a successful postseason, after finally winning his first NBA title in the 2020-21 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is gearing up to repeat his success in the playoffs.
Giannis was COOKING this postseason ♨️🔥
(via @NBA) https://t.co/zsi5X9bkeS