Shaquille O'Neal in 1999-2000 and LeBron James in 2012-13 are the only two players to have received 120 of 121 votes, falling one vote short of a unanimous nomination. O'Neal averaged 26.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 1.90 blocks per game for the Orlando Magic that season.
James averaged 27.8 points, 6.1 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.00 steals per game during his first MVP season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The previous year, Kevin Garnett was the runner-up with 112 votes after posting averages of 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.33 blocks per game for the Boston Celtics.
The 1999-2000 award went to Shaquille O'Neal of the Orlando Magic, who became the first player to win the award three years in a row. O'Neal averaged 26.4 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 1.90 blocks per game that season. He also won in 1997 and 1998 with the Miami Heat.
The other finalists were Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls, who returned from retirement to play for the Wizards this season; and Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz, who finished second in 1998-99 behind Kevin Garnett.
Curry is the only player to have earned the award unanimously in 2015-16.
LeBron James is frequently chastised for falling short in crucial times. The King, on the other hand, is one of the most clutch players in NBA history. Five of his seven game-winning buzzer beaters have occurred in the playoffs. This is the most in NBA postseason history for anybody. James himself is aware of his ability to close out games and called himself "one of the best clutch performers in basketball" in a 2012 interview with ESPN's Chris Connelly.
James is one of only three players in NBA history to average at least 10 points and 5 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line (the others are Moses Malone and Charles Barkley).
He is also one of four players in NBA history to average at least 30 points and 10 rebounds per game during their rookie season (the others are Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Kevin Durant).
In addition to being one of the best clutch players in NBA history, LeBron James is one of the most accomplished playoff performers of all time. He is the first player in NBA history to lead both leagues in scoring average (27.7) and win a championship. The only other player to do so is Bill Sharpe who led the American Basketball League in 1933-34.
Player PER Position in the NBA Table The first is Michael Jordan (* 27.91). LeBron James (27.40) is the runner-up. Anthony Davis 3rd (27.12 points) 4. Shaquille O'Neal (26.43 points) 5. Wilt Chamberlain (25.53 points)
Michael Jordan was one of the best basketball players of all time, and with a career average of 27.9 he's still among the top five scorers of all time. Although he played only six seasons in the NBA, he managed to win six championships, which is more than anyone else. In addition, during his six years on the court, Jordan averaged over 30 minutes per game, which shows how much effort he put in every day to improve his game.
LeBron James has almost identical stats to MJ - 27.9 PER - but he played seven seasons in the NBA, so he has more games available to him. Still, it's clear that both players were absolute monsters on the offensive end of the floor and used their skills to become two of the greatest to ever play the game.
Next up are three-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal and two-time champ Kobe Bryant. Both players had very similar careers, playing eight seasons in the NBA and winning two championships each.
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