1971 NBA Finals MVP: Lew Alcindor (Milwaukee Bucks)
1971 NBA Finals MVP: Lew Alcindor (Milwaukee Bucks)
The 1971 NBA Finals MVP was Lew Alcindor of the Milwaukee Bucks. According to the NBA's official list of Finals MVP winners, the award for 1971 went to him.
Award at a Glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Year | 1971 |
| Award | NBA Finals MVP |
| Winner | Lew Alcindor |
| Team | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Career wins | 1st (then known as Lew Alcindor) |
Why It Mattered
The 1971 Finals MVP decided who owned the story of that year's championship. Lew Alcindor was the central figure in the Milwaukee Bucks' title run, and the media panel voted him the series' most valuable player.
On the all-time NBA Finals MVP list, 1971 is Lew Alcindor'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 1971: the NBA Finals MVP and the regular season MVP.
- This page's award (NBA Finals MVP): Lew Alcindor (Milwaukee Bucks)
- The same year's other award (regular season MVP): Lew Alcindor (Milwaukee Bucks)
Both went to the same man. Sweeping the regular season MVP and the Finals MVP in 1971 is about as complete a case of dominance as the league produces.
For the distinction between the two awards, see Finals MVP vs MVP.
Year-by-Year Timeline
- Next (1972): Wilt Chamberlain (Los Angeles Lakers) → 1972 NBA Finals MVP
- Previous (1970): Willis Reed (New York Knicks) → 1970 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?
- Lew Alcindor honor timeline
- 1971 NBA MVP: Lew Alcindor (Milwaukee Bucks)
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.
