13 NBA MVPs who played all 82 games

Although Kobe Bryant only had one NBA MVP trophy to his name, the Black Mamba certainly made it worth it. To this day, he remains the last MVP to play through all 82 games of the regular season. He averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per outing. Bryant was also never a fan of load management.

Kevin Garnett (2003-04)

Kevin Garnett won the hearts of NBA fans with his heart and hustle. As a result, it was only fitting that he made it to this list. Garnett won his lone MVP award in the 2003-04 season. In all 82 games of action, he put up 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 2.2 rejections per game. Garnett’s rebounding production also led the NBA.

Tim Duncan (2001-02)

Widely regarded as the Big Fundamental, Tim Duncan was one of the most durable superstars the league has ever seen. Not only did he win championships across different decades, but he also played all 82 games in his first MVP year. In the 2001-02 season, Duncan averaged 25.5 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per game.

Michael Jordan (1987-88, 1990-91, 1995-96, 1997-98)

Michael Jordan built a strong case to be the greatest of all-time in the NBA. Not only did he collect six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls, but he also won five NBA MVPs, four of which saw His Airness play in all 82 games. He’s only the second player in NBA history to achieve the feat four times, which is tied for the most by any player. Jordan also won the scoring title in all of his MVP seasons.

Karl Malone (1996-97)

Karl Malone is arguably the best player in Utah Jazz history. Malone took the franchise to new heights in the late 90s, resulting in back-to-back Finals appearances. Apart from being one of the greatest scorers in league history, he also added a pair of MVPs to his name, one of which saw him play all 82 games, logging in 27.4 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.

Larry Bird (1985-86)

Larry Bird was one of the most influential players during his era. He was also one of the most unstoppable scorers, leading the Boston Celtics to three NBA titles. Individually, Bird was also a force to be reckoned with, collecting three NBA MVPs. His final MVP season saw him play all 82 games, averaging 25.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists. He also led the NBA in free-throw shooting at 89.6%.

Julius Erving (1980-81)

Julius Erving is regarded by many as one of the basketball greats. Had the ABA-NBA merger happened earlier, Erving’s name would’ve been more impactful in the NBA record books. Nonetheless, he still made his mark by winning his lone MVP in 1981. In 82 games, Dr. J put up 24.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.4 dimes per game.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1970-71, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1979-80)

There’s no doubt that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of the most revolutionary players in terms of accolades. Apart from setting the NBA scoring record that LeBron James eventually passed coupled with winning several NBA titles, he was also a worthy MVP individually. Prior to Jordan, the first player to set the bar was Abdul-Jabbar. He played 82 games in four out of his six MVP seasons, which is the record for most MVPs.

Moses Malone (1978-79)

Moses Malone is another Basketball Hall of Famer who made this short list. In his first MVP season, Malone proved why he was one of the greats. In the 1978-79 season, the 6-foot-10 big man blossomed into a star. He averaged 24.8 points and a league-best 17.8 rebounds per game. Malone also appeared in all 82 games for the Houston Rockets.

Bob McAdoo (1974-75)

Although Bob McAdoo won all of his NBA titles with the Lakers, prior to joining the Purple and Gold, he was an individually great superstar. McAdoo starred for the Buffalo Braves in the 70s. In fact, he even won MVP honors in 1975 while also taking the scoring title. He tallied a league-high 34.5 points per game in just his third year in the NBA while suiting up in 82 contests.

Dave Cowens (1972-73)

Dave Cowens will always be remembered as a Boston Celtics legend. He helped the franchise win a pair of NBA championships, while also taking MVP honors in 1973, which was also his only MVP Award. During that season, Cowens put up 20.5 points and 16.2 rebounds per game. He also led the NBA in most games played with 82.

Wes Unseld (1968-69)

Wes Unseld remains as the best player in Washington Bullets history. In fact, he kicked off his NBA career with a bang by winning both the NBA Rookie of the Year and NBA MVP Award in the same season. He averaged 13.8 points and 18.2 rebounds per game in his historic rookie year while playing in 82 games. Unseld is only the second player to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP the same season.

Wilt Chamberlain (1967-68)

Before Unseld, the first player to take the league by storm was Wilt Chamberlain. He won the first of his four MVP Awards while taking NBA Rookie of the Year honors. However, it was not until his fourth and final MVP season that saw him see action for 82 games. During that year, Chamberlain tallied 24.3 points to go along with league-best numbers of 23.8 rebounds and averaging 46.8 minutes per game. Those were ultimately out-of-this-world numbers.