When did the NBA start awarding Finals MVP?

The NBA Finals MVP award began in 1969, with Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers becoming the first winner.

How is the NBA Finals MVP decided?

The Finals MVP is voted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters after the series, based on overall impact and performance.

Has a player from the losing team ever won Finals MVP?

Yes, Jerry West in 1969 is the only player to win Finals MVP while on the losing team.

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From 41st Pick to MVP: The Serbian "Big Honey" Underdog Rise

FMVP Club

NBA

11 views07/25/2026, 21:15 ET

Drafted 41st overall in 2014, Jokić was badly underestimated; in a decade he went from "Serbian prospect" to three-time MVP and champion.

Nikola Jokić's story is a modern underdog fairy tale. In the 2014 NBA Draft, the Serbian was taken just 41st overall by Denver — overweight, slow-footed, tagged "low ceiling," with few scouts even watching live.

Jokić's basketball roots were in Europe. From a modest family in Sombor, Serbia, he played in the home league and at the Mega Basket academy, flashing age-advanced vision and touch. Drafted by Denver, he stayed in Europe another year to build his body before debuting in 2015-16, averaging 10.0 points as a rookie and making All-Rookie Second Team.

What shocked the league was his growth rate. Jokić won not with athleticism but with historic high-post playmaking, low-post footwork and IQ. By 2018-19 he was an All-Star; in 2019 he reached the West semis; by 2021 he lifted his first MVP; in 2023 the title.

From 41st pick to three-time MVP, Jokić redefined "talent": basketball IQ, passing and footwork can beat raw athleticism. For a Serbian "big honey" everyone underestimated, reaching the summit took a decade of turning grunt work into craft. The Joker's start is the prologue he rewrote with effort.