1981 NBA Finals MVP: Cedric Maxwell (Boston Celtics)
1981 NBA Finals MVP: Cedric Maxwell (Boston Celtics)
The 1981 NBA Finals MVP was Cedric Maxwell of the Boston Celtics. According to the NBA's official list of Finals MVP winners, the award for 1981 went to him.
Award at a Glance
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Year | 1981 |
| Award | NBA Finals MVP |
| Winner | Cedric Maxwell |
| Team | Boston Celtics |
| Career wins | 1st |
Why It Mattered
The 1981 Finals MVP decided who owned the story of that year's championship. Cedric Maxwell was the central figure in the Boston Celtics' title run, and the media panel voted him the series' most valuable player.
On the all-time NBA Finals MVP list, 1981 is Cedric Maxwell'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 1981: the NBA Finals MVP and the regular season MVP.
- This page's award (NBA Finals MVP): Cedric Maxwell (Boston Celtics)
- The same year's other award (regular season MVP): Julius Erving (Philadelphia 76ers)
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 (1982): Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers) → 1982 NBA Finals MVP
- Previous (1980): Magic Johnson (Los Angeles Lakers) → 1980 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?
- Cedric Maxwell honor timeline
- 1981 NBA MVP: Julius Erving (Philadelphia 76ers)
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.
