1985 NBA Finals MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers)
1985 NBA Finals MVP: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers)
The 1985 NBA Finals MVP was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar of the Los Angeles Lakers. According to the NBA's official list of Finals MVP winners, the award for 1985 went to him.
Award at a Glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Year | 1985 |
| Award | NBA Finals MVP |
| Winner | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar |
| Team | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Career wins | 1st |
Why It Mattered
The 1985 Finals MVP decided who owned the story of that year's championship. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the central figure in the Los Angeles Lakers' title run, and the media panel voted him the series' most valuable player.
On the all-time NBA Finals MVP list, 1985 is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's single appearance — a one-season peak rather than a repeated reign.
<!-- Depth details to be added by hand (never invent): series matchup, pivotal games, per-game averages. -->The Other Award That Year
Two individual prizes were handed out in 1985: the NBA Finals MVP and the regular season MVP.
- This page's award (NBA Finals MVP): Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers)
- The same year's other award (regular season MVP): Larry Bird (Boston Celtics)
They went to different players — a clean reminder that "best over a whole season" and "most decisive when it mattered most" are two separate questions.
For the distinction between the two awards, see Finals MVP vs MVP.
Year-by-Year Timeline
- Next (1986): Larry Bird (Boston Celtics) → 1986 NBA Finals MVP
- Previous (1984): Larry Bird (Boston Celtics) → 1984 NBA Finals MVP
Related Reading
- Complete List of NBA Finals MVPs (1969–2026)
- The History of the Finals MVP Award
- What Is the NBA Finals MVP Award?
- NBA MVP vs Finals MVP: What's the Difference?
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar honor timeline
- 1985 NBA MVP: Larry Bird (Boston Celtics)
Sources
Year, winner and team data on this page were verified against the NBA's official Finals MVP winners list (NBA.com history finals-mvp-winners) and Basketball-Reference public records, cross-checked against this site's two internal reference lists (last verified 2026-08-15).
FMVP Club — Independent fan site, not affiliated with the NBA.
