Why wasn't Jordan a unanimous MVP?
Steph Curry made NBA history a few times this season.
He led the Golden State Warriors to a record 73 victories and shattered his own mark for 3-point baskets in a season with 402 (the previous high was 286). Earlier this week, Curry became the first NBA player to be voted Most Valuable Player unanimously.
Curry's milestone certainly was well-deserved. He received all 131 first-place votes from a panel of NBA reporters and broadcasters, winning the award for the second straight year.
The unanimous selection brought back memories of a few near misses. Miami's LeBron James finished 1 vote short of unanimous in 2012-13 and Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal missed by a vote in 1999-2000.
In both cases, the dissenting voter stepped forward. Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe voted for New York's Carmelo Anthony in 2012-13, using the logic that Anthony did more with less. He has a good argument, since the Knicks won 54 games, which still ranks as the team's best season in the last 20 years.
CNN's Fred Hickman cast his vote in 1999-2000 for Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, who would win the award a year later.
Chicago Bulls fans probably are wondering why Michael Jordan was not a unanimous choice for any of his five MVP awards. It's a good question, especially when the 1995-96 the Bulls set the previous record for wins in a season by finishing 72-10. Jordan returned from his baseball break, played in all 82 games and led the league in scoring at 30.4 points.
A few years ago, the NBA started making ballots public. So if anyone didn't vote for Curry this year, the culprit would have been revealed immediately. In Jordan's era, it was a closely guarded secret.
So we don't know who voted for a player other than Jordan, but we can look back at the results, with help from basketball-reference.com.
<h3 class="leadin">1995-96: If Jordan was ever going to be a unanimous choice, this was the year, considering the 72 wins and his 30-point scoring average. But three other players received first-place votes: Orlando's Penny Hardaway got 2, with Houston's Hakeem Olajuwon and Utah's Karl Malone getting 1 each.</h3>
Hardaway helped lead Orlando to 60 wins that season, but it's difficult to fathom how his game (21.7 points, 7.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds) was better than Jordan's (30.4, 4.3 and 6.6), while lifting his team to 72 victories.
Olajuwon had his usual monster year (26.9 points, 10.9) rebounds, but San Antonio's David Robinson probably had better stats that season.
Oddly enough, Robinson finished second to Jordan in MVP voting that year but did not receive any first-place votes. Hardaway finished third, Olajuwon fourth.
Malone was seventh that year after averaging 25.7 points and 9.8 rebounds, so there's no conceivable reason he should have gotten a first-place MVP vote.
The only possible argument against Jordan was he had an abundance of help. Scottie Pippen was fifth in MVP voting that year and Dennis Rodman was 15th.
<h3 class="leadin">1997-98: After losing to Karl Malone for the 1997 MVP, Jordan came back with an easy victory in 1998. Jordan received 92 of 116 votes. Malone was second with 20 first-place votes, followed by Gary Payton and Shaquille O'Neal.</h3>
<h3 class="leadin">1991-92: This one wasn't close to being unanimous, with Jordan getting 80 of 96 votes. Portland's Clyde Drexler finished second with 12 first-place votes. Maybe some voters were trying to give Drexler one of those "lifetime achievement" MVP awards, sort of like Charles Barkley got the following year.</h3>
Other first-place votes went to David Robinson, Karl Malone and, interestingly, Scottie Pippen, who posted a well-rounded stat line of 21 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists.
<h3 class="leadin">1990-91: In the Bulls' first championship season, Jordan received 77 of 92 first-place votes. Magic Johnson was a distant second with 10 first-place votes, and David Robinson got 6.</h3>
<h3 class="leadin">1987-88: This was Jordan's only MVP award that didn't come during a championship season. He got 47 of 80 first-place votes. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson finished second and third, respectively, with 16 first-place votes each.</h3>
<h3 class="leadin">Derrick Rose, 2010-11: Rose's MVP award was somewhat surprising, but the voting wasn't close. Rose received 113 of 121 first-place votes, with second-place Dwight Howard getting 3 and LeBron James 4.</h3>
The closest vote Jordan lost was in 1997, when Malone garnered 63 first-place votes to Jordan's 52.
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Others receiving votes
Sure, Golden State’s Steph Curry deserved to be a unanimous MVP selection. But explain why Michael Jordan never got every vote? Here’s a look back at past MVP tallies:
1997-98:
Player 1st-place votes Total points
1. Michael Jordan 92 1,084
2. Karl Malone, Utah 20 842
3. Gary Payton, Seattle 3 431
Other 1st-place votes: Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando
1995-96:
1. Michael Jordan 109 1,114
2. David Robinson, San Antonio 0 574
3. Penny Hardaway, Orlando 2 360
Other 1st-place votes: Hakeem Olajuwon, Hou.; Karl Malone, Utah
1991-92:
1. Michael Jordan 80 900
2. Clyde Drexler, Portland 12 561
3. David Robinson 2 337
Other 1st-place votes: Karl Malone, Scottie Pippen
1990-91:
1. Michael Jordan 77 891
2. Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers 10 497
3. David Robinson 6 476
Other 1st-place votes: Charles Barkley 2, Phil.; Clyde Drexler
1987-88:
1. Michael Jordan 47 665
2. Larry Bird, Boston 16 527
3. Magic Johnson 16 508
Other 1st-place votes: Charles Barkley