National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Award is an annual award given to the best player of the regular NBA season. Robert E. Lee Petit, also known as Bob Pettit is the first recipient of the Maurice Podoloff Throphy on the 1955-1956 Season with the Milwaukee/St. Louis Hawks. MVP voting has many history. On 1979-1980 NBA Season, the MVP was originally selected by a vote of NBA players. But since the 1980-1981Season, a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters around the United States and Canda decides the winner. It is done by 125 members of the media. Each cities with NBA team has 3 representatives. The remaining panels are mix of national writers and broadcasters.
Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has won the award six times in his career, a record with the most in the history of the NBA. Next to Kareem is Bill Russell and Michael Jordan with five most valuable player award. Wilt Chamberlain with four while Moses Malone, Ervin “Magic” Johnson and Larry Bird each won three times in their NBA careers. Wes Unseld and Wilt Chamberlain are the only players who win the MVP Award together with Rookie of the Year on a single NBA Season. The most recent winner is Kobe Bryant of Los Angels Lakers (2007-2008 Season).
