Top 5 colleges that have produced the most NBA MVP award winners
The NBA MVP is one of the most respected and coveted individual awards. 34 different players have won it in their careers, with only 14 of them doing so on multiple occasions.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award a record six times, while Larry Bird is the last player to have won it three times in a row. Derrick Rose holds the record for being the youngest ever NBA MVP award winner, while Stephen Curry is the only one in NBA history to have won it unanimously.
These athletes, who represent the creme de la creme of the NBA, come from top colleges and universities that have produced such talents over the years. These educational institutions in the country have some of the best collegiate sports programs.
So without further ado, let's have a look at five such colleges/universities that have produced the most NBA MVP award winners.
#T3 Michigan State University and Indiana State University - 1 NBA MVP winner apiece
Two of the greatest players in the NBA during the 1980s, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird didn't just go head to head in the league but also locked horns at the collegiate level.
The LA Lakers' Magic Johnson attended Michigan State University from 1977 to 1979, while the Boston Celtics' Larry Bird attended Indiana State University from 1976 to 1979. Magic Johnson led his college to the NCAA title in 1979, while Larry Bird won the 'National College Player of the Year' award that same year.
Although the two colleges produced one NBA MVP winner apiece, the two legends went on to win the award thrice in their careers.
Magic Johnson won the NBA MVP award in 1987, 1989 and 1990, while Bird did so three times on the trot, doing so between 1984 and 1986. The Michigan State Spartans retired Johnson's no. 33 jersey, while the Indiana State Sycamores did likewise with Bird's no. 33 jersey too.
#T3 University of Kansas and University of San Francisco - 1 NBA MVP winner apiece
The Unversity of Kansas and the University of San Francisco have given the NBA two of the most dominant centers of all time, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell.
'The Big Dipper' has several NBA records to his name, most notable of them being his 50-point average in a season and dropping 100 points in a game. Meanwhile, Bill Russell is the ultimate champion, who won a staggering 11 NBA championships in 13 seasons.
Wilt Chamberlain won the NBA MVP award in 1960 and then won three times consecutively from 1966 to 1968. The University of Kansas has had several big players play for their team.
Even though they have produced just one NBA MVP winner, it is the only college to have produces three Finals MVPs - Chamberlain, JoJo White and Paul Pierce. 'Wilt the Stilt' won the 'NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player' in 1957, and the Kansas Jayhawks retired his no. 13 jersey.
Although the University of Kansas and University of San Francisco have produced just one NBA MVP winner apiece, Wilt Chamberlain has won the award four times, while Bill Russell has done so on five occasions; the two combined tallies account for almost 17% of the total NBA MVP awards given out since 1956.
Just like Bird and Johnson dominated the NBA in the 1980s, the 1960s era was the Chamberlain-Russell show.
After winning his first NBA MVP award in 1958, Bill Russell won it three times in a row between 1961 to 1963 before winning it again in 1965. He led his college to two consecutive NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956. Russell was awarded 'NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player' in 1955, and the San Francisco Dons retired his no. 6 jersey.
#T2 Louisiana State University (LSU) - 2 NBA MVP winners
Louisana State University, more commonly known as LSU, has one of the most respected sports programs in the country.
The college has produced two NBA MVPs - Shaquille O'Neal and Bob Pettit. O'Neal is regarded as the most dominant and unstoppable center in NBA history. 'The Big Diesel' won the NBA MVP award in 2000 and led his team, the LA Lakers, to an NBA championship.
He also won the Finals MVP and led the league in scoring that year. With the LSU Tigers, O'Neal led the NCAA in rebounding in 1991 and blocks in 1992.
The other NBA MVP winner from the college, Bob Pettit won the award twice in his career, doing so in 1956 and 1959.
He led the St. Louis Hawks (now called the Atlanta Hawks) to the NBA title in 1958. The LSU Tigers retired Pettit's no. 50 and Shaquille O'Neal's no. 33 jerseys. Bob Pettit never won an NCAA title with the college, but he took the LSU Tigers to their first 'NCAA Final Four' appearance in 1953, averaging over 30 points per game.
Although not an NBA MVP winner, legendary player 'Pistol' Pete Maravich also hails from Louisiana State University.
#T2 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - 2 NBA MVP winners
The college that gave the world arguably the greatest basketball player ever, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is the alma mater of Michael Jordan.
Not much is needed to be said about the greatness of MJ; he has several NBA records to his name. The 1990s era in the league was the Michael Jordan show. He led the Chicago Bulls to six titles, three-peating twice and winning Finals MVP all six times. He won the NBA MVP award five times in his career, doing so in 1988, 1991, 1992, 1996 and 1998.
Jordan led the North Carolina Tar Heels to their second NCAA title in 1982 and won the 'National College Player of the Year' award in 1984. The University, unsurprisingly, retired his no. 23 jersey.
The only other NBA MVP winner who calls UNC his alma mater is Bob McAdoo. He played for the Buffalo Braves and won the NBA MVP award in 1975. He won the NBA title in 1982 and 1985 during the 'Showtime' era led by Magic Johnson. McAdoo got selected in the All-ACC First Team in 1972.
Although not NBA MVP winners, several great players have donned the North Carolina Tar Heels jersey, such as Vince Carter, Antwan Jamison and James Worthy, who are some of the most recognizable names.
The college also has 12 players currently playing in the league, Danny Green and Harrison Barnes being some of them.
Also Read: How many rings does Kareem Abdul Jabbar have?
#1 University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) - 3 NBA MVP winners
The most successful university in the history of college basketball, University of California Los Angeles, more commonly known as UCLA, has won 11 NCAA titles.
It has given the world some of the greatest players ever, and hundreds of their athletes have joined the NBA. UCLA has produced three NBA MVP winners - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Russell Westbrook.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the NBA MVP award a record six times. The 19-time All-Star was selected as the NBA MVP in 1971, 1972, 1973, 1976, 1977 and 1980. He is a six-time NBA champion and two Finals MVPs.
Abdul-Jabbar is regarded as the best basketball player in US history; he led the UCLA Bruins to three NCAA titles between 1967 and 1969. He also won the 'NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player' three times and the 'National College Player of the Year' three times during the same period. The UCLA Bruins. unsurprisingly, retired his no. 33 jersey.
Bill Walton won the NBA MVP award in 1978. He arguably had one of the best runs in NCAA history, winning the title for the UCLA Bruins in 1972 and 1973.
He was the 'NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player' in those two years and was named the 'National College Player of the Year' three times. Walton, who spent time at UCLA from 1971 to 1974, had his no. 32 jersey retired by UCLA Bruins.
The latest NBA MVP winner from UCLA is Russell Westbrook, who won the prestigious award in 2017 after a staggering season. He broke several triple-double records that year to cement his name in NBA history as one of the most athletic and explosive point guards.
Westbrook is still active in the competition, so the UCLA Bruins might consider retiring his no. 0 jersey when he retires from the NBA. Along with Kevin Love, Westbrook led his college to the NCAA Final Four in each of his seasons with the team.
Although not NBA MVP winners, UCLA is also the alma mater of Gail Goodrich, Reggie Miller and Jamaal Wilkes, among others.
Also Read: 5 most outrageous stat lines of Russell Westbrook's NBA career.