NBA Most Improved Player

National Basketball Association awards and honors
Team awards
Individual awards
Honors
NBA Most Improved Player
SportBasketball
LeagueNational Basketball Association
Awarded forPlayer with greatest improvement in playing ability in regular season of the National Basketball Association
History
First award1985–86
Most recentTyrese Maxey
Philadelphia 76ers

The NBA's Most Improved Player (MIP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player who has shown the most progress during the regular season compared to previous seasons. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote is worth five points; each second-place vote is worth three points, and each third-place vote is worth one point. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award.[1] The criteria for selecting the most improved player was initially open-ended, but the NBA clarified in later years that it was intended for an up-and-coming player who improved dramatically and not a player who made a comeback, distinguishing it from the defunct NBA Comeback Player of the Year Award.[2][3] Since the 2022–23 NBA season, winners receive the George Mikan Trophy, named after the five-time NBA champion.

Effective with the 2023–24 season, when a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and its players' union takes effect, players must appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for most major regular-season awards, including Most Improved Player. To receive credit for a game for purposes of award eligibility, a player must have been credited with at least 20 minutes played. However, two "near misses", in which the player appeared for 15 to 19 minutes, can be included in the 65-game count. Protections also exist for players who suffer season-ending injuries, who are eligible with 62 credited games, and those affected by what the CBA calls "bad faith circumstances".[4][5]

Since its inception, the award has been given to 37 players. No player has ever won the award twice. Boris Diaw, Kevin Love, Pascal Siakam, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only award winners to win an NBA Championship, Siakam is the only winner to win a championship in the same season as the award, and Antetokounmpo is the only winner to win NBA Finals MVP. Rony Seikaly,[a] Gheorghe Mureșan, Boris Diaw, Hedo Türkoğlu, Goran Dragić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pascal Siakam, and Lauri Markkanen are the only award winners born outside the United States.

Alvin Robertson, Dana Barros, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O'Neal, Danny Granger, Kevin Love, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Ja Morant, Lauri Markkanen, and Tyrese Maxey have won the award and been selected as an NBA All-Star in the same season; Dale Ellis, Kevin Duckworth, Kevin Johnson, Gilbert Arenas, Zach Randolph, Goran Dragic, and Pascal Siakam were the other winners who were selected in a later season to play in the All-Star Game. Only McGrady, O'Neal, George, Dragić, Antetokounmpo, Oladipo, Randle and Morant won the award and were named to the All-NBA Team in the same season. Pascal Siakam made the All-NBA Second Team the year after he won the award. The Indiana Pacers have seen six players win the award, the most in the NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first recipient of the award to later become an NBA MVP. Tracy McGrady is the only recipient to win a scoring title as well as being the first recipient of the award to be named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Winners

A basketball player, wearing a white jersey inscribed with the word "ROCKETS" across the front, holds a basketball away from another basketball player guarding him. A referee stands in the background.
Tracy McGrady won the award in the 2000–01 NBA season.
Monta Ellis won in 2006–07.
A basketball player, wearing a black jersey inscribed with the word "WOLVES" and the number 42 on the front.
Kevin Love won in 2010–11.
A basketball player, wearing a white jersey with the word "BUCKS" and the number 34 on the front.
Giannis Antetokounmpo won in 2016–17.
^ Denotes player who is still active in the NBA
* Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
† Not yet eligible for Hall of Fame consideration[a]
Team (#) Denotes the number of times a player from this team has won
Season Player Position Nationality Team
1985–86 Alvin Robertson Guard  United States San Antonio Spurs
1986–87 Dale Ellis Guard/forward  United States Seattle SuperSonics
1987–88 Kevin Duckworth Center  United States Portland Trail Blazers
1988–89 Kevin Johnson Guard  United States Phoenix Suns
1989–90 Rony Seikaly Center  United States[b] Miami Heat
1990–91 Scott Skiles Guard  United States Orlando Magic
1991–92 Pervis Ellison Center/forward  United States Washington Bullets
1992–93 Chris Jackson Guard  United States Denver Nuggets
1993–94 Don MacLean Forward  United States Washington Bullets (2)
1994–95 Dana Barros Guard  United States Philadelphia 76ers
1995–96 Gheorghe Mureșan Center  Romania Washington Bullets (3)
1996–97 Isaac Austin Center  United States Miami Heat (2)
1997–98 Alan Henderson Forward  United States Atlanta Hawks
1998–99 Darrell Armstrong Guard  United States Orlando Magic (2)
1999–00 Jalen Rose Guard/forward  United States Indiana Pacers
2000–01 Tracy McGrady* Guard/forward  United States Orlando Magic (3)
2001–02 Jermaine O'Neal Forward/center  United States Indiana Pacers (2)
2002–03 Gilbert Arenas Guard  United States Golden State Warriors
2003–04 Zach Randolph Forward  United States Portland Trail Blazers (2)
2004–05 Bobby Simmons Guard/forward  United States Los Angeles Clippers
2005–06 Boris Diaw Forward  France Phoenix Suns (2)
2006–07 Monta Ellis Guard  United States Golden State Warriors (2)
2007–08 Hedo Türkoğlu Forward  Turkey Orlando Magic (4)
2008–09 Danny Granger Forward  United States Indiana Pacers (3)
2009–10 Aaron Brooks Guard  United States Houston Rockets
2010–11 Kevin Love^ Forward/center  United States Minnesota Timberwolves
2011–12 Ryan Anderson Forward  United States Orlando Magic (5)
2012–13 Paul George^ Forward  United States Indiana Pacers (4)
2013–14 Goran Dragić† Guard  Slovenia Phoenix Suns (3)
2014–15 Jimmy Butler^ Guard/forward  United States Chicago Bulls
2015–16 CJ McCollum^ Guard  United States Portland Trail Blazers (3)
2016–17 Giannis Antetokounmpo^ Forward  Greece Milwaukee Bucks
2017–18 Victor Oladipo^ Guard  United States Indiana Pacers (5)
2018–19 Pascal Siakam^ Forward  Cameroon Toronto Raptors
2019–20 Brandon Ingram^ Forward  United States New Orleans Pelicans
2020–21 Julius Randle^ Forward  United States New York Knicks
2021–22 Ja Morant^ Guard  United States Memphis Grizzlies
2022–23 Lauri Markkanen^ Forward  Finland Utah Jazz
2023–24 Tyrese Maxey^ Guard  United States Philadelphia 76ers (2)

Teams

Awards Teams Years
5 Indiana Pacers 2000, 2002, 2009, 2013, 2018
Orlando Magic 1991, 1999, 2001, 2008, 2012
3 Washington Wizards / Washington Bullets 1992, 1994, 1996
Phoenix Suns 1989, 2006, 2014
Portland Trail Blazers 1988, 2004, 2016
2 Miami Heat 1990, 1997
Golden State Warriors 2003, 2007
Philadelphia 76ers 1995, 2024
1 San Antonio Spurs 1986
Oklahoma City Thunder / Seattle SuperSonics 1987
Denver Nuggets 1993
Atlanta Hawks 1998
Los Angeles Clippers 2005
Houston Rockets 2010
Minnesota Timberwolves 2011
Chicago Bulls 2015
Milwaukee Bucks 2017
Toronto Raptors 2019
New Orleans Pelicans 2020
New York Knicks 2021
Memphis Grizzlies 2022
Utah Jazz 2023
0 Brooklyn Nets None
Los Angeles Lakers
Boston Celtics
Dallas Mavericks
Charlotte Hornets
Cleveland Cavaliers
Detroit Pistons
Sacramento Kings

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A player is not eligible for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame until he has been fully retired for three calendar years.
  2. ^ Rony Seikaly was born in Lebanon and has dual citizenship in that country and the United States.[6][7] He represented the United States at the 1986 FIBA World Championship.[8]

References

General
  • "Most Improved Player". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on January 1, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
  • "Most Improved Player Award Winners". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
Specific
  1. ^ "Golden State's Ellis Wins 2006–07 NBA Most Improved Player Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 26, 2007. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
  2. ^ Stein, Marc (April 9, 2019). "This Is Who Should Win the 2018-19 N.B.A. Awards". The New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  3. ^ Mahoney, Rob (January 28, 2014). "The Fundamentals: The many layers and many candidates for Most Improved Player". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  4. ^ Helin, Kurt (April 18, 2023). "More details emerge on new NBA CBA, including details on 65-game threshold for awards". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  5. ^ "Article XXIX, Section 6: Games Played Requirement for Certain League Honors" (PDF). NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. National Basketball Players Association. July 2023. pp. 432–38. Retrieved September 13, 2023. The games played requirement specifically applies to the MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, and Most Improved Player awards, as well as the All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams.
  6. ^ "Rony Seikaly". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
  7. ^ "Rony Seikaly" (in Spanish). Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
  8. ^ "All-Time USA Basketball Men's Roster: S". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on January 15, 2009. Retrieved November 18, 2008.