1978 NBA Finals MVP: Wes Unseld (Washington Bullets)
1978 NBA Finals MVP: Wes Unseld (Washington Bullets)
The 1978 NBA Finals MVP was Wes Unseld of the Washington Bullets. According to the NBA's official list of Finals MVP winners, the award for 1978 went to him.
Award at a Glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Year | 1978 |
| Award | NBA Finals MVP |
| Winner | Wes Unseld |
| Team | Washington Bullets |
| Career wins | 1st |
Why It Mattered
The 1978 Finals MVP decided who owned the story of that year's championship. Wes Unseld was the central figure in the Washington Bullets' title run, and the media panel voted him the series' most valuable player.
On the all-time NBA Finals MVP list, 1978 is Wes Unseld'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 1978: the NBA Finals MVP and the regular season MVP.
- This page's award (NBA Finals MVP): Wes Unseld (Washington Bullets)
- The same year's other award (regular season MVP): Bill Walton (Portland Trail Blazers)
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 (1979): Dennis Johnson (Seattle SuperSonics) → 1979 NBA Finals MVP
- Previous (1977): Bill Walton (Portland Trail Blazers) → 1977 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?
- Wes Unseld honor timeline
- 1978 NBA MVP: Bill Walton (Portland Trail Blazers)
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.
Related Reading
- Wes Unseld: Hard Work and Role Model— The Blue-Collar Giant’s Leadership Lesson
- Wes Unseld: Glory and Idol— The Rookie MVP Who Became Baltimore’s Hero
- 1969 NBA MVP: Wes Unseld (Baltimore Bullets)
- Wes Unseld: Most Valuable and Legacy— The Basketball Philosophy of a Rookie at His Peak
- 1978 Wes Unseld FMVP Breakdown（二）
