When did the NBA start awarding Finals MVP?

The NBA Finals MVP award began in 1969, with Jerry West of the Los Angeles Lakers becoming the first winner.

How is the NBA Finals MVP decided?

The Finals MVP is voted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters after the series, based on overall impact and performance.

Has a player from the losing team ever won Finals MVP?

Yes, Jerry West in 1969 is the only player to win Finals MVP while on the losing team.

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One Man, One City: 11 Years in OKC, a Totem of Loyalty

FMVP Club

NBA

14 views07/17/2026, 06:49 ET

From 2008 to 2019, Westbrook spent 11 seasons with the Thunder — in an era of superteam hopping, the stubbornest footnote of "one man, one city".

Drafted 4th overall in 2008 by the Seattle SuperSonics (who relocated to Oklahoma City the next year), Westbrook stayed with that franchise for 11 seasons, until he left in 2019 — in an era when stars change teams every three years, that alone is a luxurious kind of romance.

In an age when superstars constantly teamed up to chase rings, Westbrook chose to stay. Durant left, Harden left, he didn't. He gave his best years to OKC, even if it meant carrying a underestimated team alone through countless nights. "One man, one city" sounds romantic, but behind it were endless games as the lone leader and hard-fought playoff battles. In the 2016 West Finals he pushed the 73-win Warriors to Game 7 on the strength of that refusal to bow.

Half of the Thunder's franchise history is written with Westbrook's name. OKC fans still remember his drives to the rim and his signature head-shake celebration after wins. In a league where loyalty grows rarer, Westbrook proved with 11 years that some promises need no words — they're measured in mileage.