Preface
The draft is an extremely important part of the NBA league. Most players enter the league through this method. However, there are also differences in talent among these young people. Players with higher talent have a natural chance of becoming stars. It will also be bigger. After each rookie enters the league, through layers of screening, some of them will naturally become stars in the league when they realize their talents.
But stars are also divided into several grades. Some players are on the edge of the All-Stars, and some players are regulars in the best lineup. Like real superstars, they often have a common award, which is the regular season MVP. But obviously this award is not so easy to win, as Wade, Leonard and others have never gotten it in their entire careers.
Therefore, it is rare for two MVPs to appear in the same draft in the entire NBA history. Since the NBA has a draft system, only 4 drafts have met the requirements. Even the 2003 Platinum Generation has missed this list. So Next, let’s take a look at which years each of these four drafts took place.
4. 2009
mvp: Curry (2015, 2016), Harden (2018)
As the twin stars of the 2009 draft, Curry and Harden can be said to be at the break level in this draft, but this When the two first entered the league, no one expected that they would become MVPs later. Curry not only had to play as a substitute at the time, but was also affected by an ankle injury. Many fans even believed that he would not be able to play in the league for a few years. Obviously, Curry proved himself later. After being corrected by the team, Curry quickly led the team to start a small ball craze. In the 2014-2015 season, he succeeded with 23.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists and the league's first record. Was elected mvp. In the 2015-2016 season, Curry averaged 30.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game. That year, the Warriors also had the best record in history with 73 wins. In the end, he was unanimously elected as the MVP again.
As for Harden, he was originally positioned as the sixth man. The template everyone gave him at that time was also Ginobili of the Spurs. But after Harden joined the Rockets, his performance was out of control, and he soon became one of the best shooting guards in the league. In the 2017-2018 season, Harden finally did not miss the MVP again. This year, he averaged 30.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Under his leadership, the Rockets also achieved a record of 65 wins and 17 losses.
3. 2008
mvp: Rose (2011), Westbrook (2017)
As the No. 1 pick in the 2008 class, Rose showed his outstanding physical talent as soon as he entered the league, and his rate of improvement is also quite fast. In the third season of his career, he has become a player who can compete with James, Kobe and other superstars. That year, Rose averaged 25 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 1 steal per game. He also successfully helped the Bulls achieve the league's first record of 62 wins and 20 losses in the regular season. In the end, he overcame other superstars and became the youngest player in history. MVP, but unfortunately his peak was too short-lived, and since then he has slowly declined due to injuries.
Compared to Rose, Westbrook is a bit of a "late bloomer". He had always been the second-in-command in the Thunder until 2016 when Durant chose to leave Golden State, so the Thunder became Westbrook's only ball. Team. In the 2016-2017 season, with the belief of taking the team into the playoffs, Westbrook carried the Thunder alone. In the regular season, he averaged a triple-double of 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game. Although the Thunder's record that year was mediocre. , but with his luxurious statistics, he also won the only MVP in his career, and Westbrook also became the second player in history to average a triple-double per game.
2.1996
mvp: Iverson (2001), Nash (2005, 2006), Kobe (2008)
As a golden generation, the overall talent of the 1996 draft can be said to be quite outstanding, including three players. mvp. The first is Allen Iverson, the No. 1 pick. He could be said to be one of the most influential stars in the NBA back then, and having such an influence naturally has a lot to do with his strength.At his peak, Iverson was not only the top four shooting guards, but also one of the league's faces that could be compared with super giants such as O'Neal. In the 2000-2001 season, Iverson averaged 31.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.5 steals per game. He also helped the 76ers get the top spot in the Eastern Conference, and eventually he successfully won the mvp award.
As for Nash, he was already 30 years old when he was elected MVP for the first time. He returned to the Suns in the 2004-2005 season. In the regular season, he averaged 15.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 11.5 assists per game. Looking at the data, Nash may not be outstanding. , but because of his return, the Suns won 33 more games than last season. The influence of such games is considered exaggerated in the mvp. Next season, the Suns' star insider Stoudemire will be reimbursed for the season, but Nash still averages 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game. The Suns are still at the forefront of the Western Conference. In the end, he successfully defended his MVP title.
Finally, there is Kobe. He has always been a substitute in the early stages of his career, and he was also the second-in-command next to O'Neal during the three consecutive championships. Therefore, it was only after 2004 that he truly became the absolute core of the Lakers. Later, Kobe also had crazy scoring performances in the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 seasons, but the Lakers' record held him back. In the 2007-2008 season, Kobe averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Although the data is not The first two years were luxurious, but this year the Lakers finally won the first place in the Western Conference in the regular season, so he also won the MVP.
1.1984
mvp: Jordan (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998), Barkley (1993), Olajuwon (1994)
As a well-deserved god of basketball, although Jordan is He was only selected with the third overall pick in the 1984 draft, but he was the first player in this class. In 1988, Jordan won his first mvp by averaging 35 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 3.2 steals per game. Later, he won the mvp+fmvp awards for two consecutive seasons in 1991 and 1992. After his first comeback, Jordan's condition remains the same as before. He won two more MVPs in 1996 and 1998. This kind of dominance can be said to be the only one in history.
Barkley was originally selected with the fifth overall pick, but he became the second player in the same class to win the MVP. In the 1992-1993 season, Barkley moved to the Suns. In the regular season, he averaged 25.6 points and 12.2 points per game. With comprehensive statistics of 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 1 block, with his help, the Suns became the strongest team in the league in the regular season, which also allowed him to successfully break Jordan's plan to win three consecutive MVPs.
Finally, there is Olajuwon. As the No. 1 pick in the 1984 class, he won the MVP in the 1993-1994 season by averaging 27.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.6 steals and 3.7 blocks per game. Although Olajuwon was already 30 years old when he won the MVP, throughout his career, he is undoubtedly the strongest player in this draft besides Jordan.
