1979 NBA Finals MVP: Dennis Johnson (Seattle SuperSonics)
1979 NBA Finals MVP: Dennis Johnson (Seattle SuperSonics)
The 1979 NBA Finals MVP was Dennis Johnson of the Seattle SuperSonics. According to the NBA's official list of Finals MVP winners, the award for 1979 went to him.
Award at a Glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Year | 1979 |
| Award | NBA Finals MVP |
| Winner | Dennis Johnson |
| Team | Seattle SuperSonics |
| Career wins | 1st |
Why It Mattered
The 1979 Finals MVP decided who owned the story of that year's championship. Dennis Johnson was the central figure in the Seattle SuperSonics' title run, and the media panel voted him the series' most valuable player.
On the all-time NBA Finals MVP list, 1979 is Dennis Johnson'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 1979: the NBA Finals MVP and the regular season MVP.
- This page's award (NBA Finals MVP): Dennis Johnson (Seattle SuperSonics)
- The same year's other award (regular season MVP): Moses Malone (Houston Rockets)
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 (1980): Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers) → 1980 NBA Finals MVP
- Previous (1978): Wes Unseld (Washington Bullets) → 1978 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?
- Dennis Johnson honor timeline
- 1979 NBA MVP: Moses Malone (Houston Rockets)
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.
