The Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Award has been given out to the best performer in the NBA Finals since 1969. Many legendary players like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Shaquille O’Neal have won the award three times or more.
With the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat facing off in the NBA Finals, Nikola Jokic can add the prestigious trophy to his resume. And if he does so, he will become only the fifth foreign player to have won the award. Here’s a look at the five times it happened before and the four players to do it.
1993-94 NBA Season – Hakeem Olajuwon
NBA Finals Stats: 26.9 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.6 SPG, 3.9 BPG
In the 1993-94 season, Hakeem Olajuwon won his first championship with the Houston Rockets in a 7-game series against the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals. In a legendary battle against Patrick Ewing, Olajuwon came out on top, outscoring Ewing by nearly 9 points per game, and dominating when it mattered the most.
The Houston Rockets franchise had never won a championship before, and their decision to draft Olajuwon over Michael Jordan finally paid off in 1994. Hakeem led them to the title, becoming the first foreign player to win Finals MVP in the process and making history.
1994-95 NBA Season – Hakeem Olajuwon
NBA Finals Stats: 32.8 PPG, 11.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.0 SPG, 2.0 BPG
Hakeem Olajuwon, the only foreign player to win two Finals MVPs, did so in consecutive years, leading the Rockets past the Orlando Magic in the Finals in 1995. His averages went up across the board even though he was facing a young Shaquille O’Neal, and the Rockets swept the Magic en route to their second championship.
Hakeem Olajuwon was truly dominant in 1995, his numbers are almost hard to believe. His second Finals MVP earned him a place in the Top 20 players of all time and he is still spoken about by many people as the greatest big man of his era by a wide margin.
2006-07 NBA Season – Tony Parker
NBA Finals Stats: 24.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.0 BPG
Tony Parker is perhaps the most unexpected name on the list, considering that he was never the biggest star of the San Antonio Spurs during his career. Tim Duncan was the main man for the Spurs but in their 2007 sweep of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals, Tony Parker shone the brightest.
He shot an incredible 56.8% from the field, and 57.2% from the three-point line, elite numbers. His efficiency, his scoring, and his leadership during that series earned him the trophy and the honor of being just the second foreign player to ever earn this accolade.
2010-11 NBA Season – Dirk Nowitzki
NBA Finals Stats: 26.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Dirk Nowitzki is one of the most respected foreign players of all time. He led the Dallas Mavericks to many winning seasons and could have won the award in 2006. However, they lost to the Heat, and it took him till 2010-11 to get his hands on the trophy and when he did it, he did it in style by taking revenge on Miami.
Going up against the newly-formed trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, Nowitzki led his team to victory in six games after going down 2-1. He missed just one free throw in six games, scored when it mattered, and cemented his legacy as one of the best scorers in NBA history and the third foreign player to be named Finals MVP.
2020-21 NBA Season – Giannis Antetokounmpo
NBA Finals Stats: 35.2 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.8 BPG
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the latest foreign player to win Finals MVP, and he did it arguably in the most dominant fashion since Hakeem Olajuwon. Antetokounmpo scored 40 or more points in three out of six games and dropped 50 points in the closeout Game 6 against the Phoenix Suns.
He shot 62% from the field during the series and made elite plays on the defensive end as well, living up to the expectations placed on him as a two-time MVP. Antetokounmpo’s win is an example of how far foreign players have come in the modern game, he was widely considered the best player in the world after he accomplished this.
Nikola Jokic Is The Prime Candidate If The Nuggets Win, But Another Foreign Player Could Also Get It
Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets have been waiting almost a week to face off against the Miami Heat. As the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, they have lost just three games in the playoffs despite facing off against stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker. As such, they will be the favorites to win it all on paper, and Nikola Jokic will likely win Finals MVP.
However, Jokic’s second star, Jamal Murray could also make his case for the award if they win. He averaged more points per game in the Western Conference Finals than the Joker, and could well do it again. Murray is Canadian, so if he wins it, he could become the fifth foreign player to win the award. It will be easier said than done against the Miami Heat, but more history being made is on the cards in these Finals.
