NBA Most Improved Player Award
The NBA's Most Improved Player Award (MIP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player who has shown the most progress during the regular season compared to previous seasons. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote is worth five points; each second-place vote is worth three points, and each third-place vote is worth one point. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award.[1] The criteria for selecting the most improved player was initially open-ended, but the NBA clarified in later years that it was intended for an up-and-coming player who improved dramatically and not a player who made a comeback, distinguishing it from the defunct NBA Comeback Player of the Year Award.[2][3]
National Basketball Association awards and honors | ||
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Sport | Basketball |
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League | National Basketball Association |
Awarded for | Player with greatest improvement in playing ability in regular season of the National Basketball Association |
History | |
First award | 1985–86 |
Most recent | Ja Morant Memphis Grizzlies |
Since its inception, the award has been given to 36 players. No player has ever won the award twice. Boris Diaw, Kevin Love, Pascal Siakam, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only award winners to win an NBA Championship, Siakam is the only winner to win a championship in the same season as the award, and Antetokounmpo is the only winner to win NBA Finals MVP. Rony Seikaly,[a] Gheorghe Mureșan, Boris Diaw, Hedo Türkoğlu, Goran Dragić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Pascal Siakam are the only award winners born outside the United States.
Alvin Robertson, Dana Barros, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O'Neal, Danny Granger, Kevin Love, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, and Ja Morant have won the award and been selected as an NBA All-Star in the same season; Dale Ellis, Kevin Duckworth, Kevin Johnson, Gilbert Arenas, Zach Randolph, Goran Dragic, and Pascal Siakam were the other winners who were selected in a later season to play in the All-Star Game. Only McGrady, O'Neal, George, Dragić, Antetokounmpo, Oladipo, Randle and Morant won the award and were named to the All-NBA Team in the same season. Pascal Siakam made the All-NBA Second Team the year after he won the award. The Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic have both seen five players win the award, the most in the NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first recipient of the award to later become an NBA MVP. Tracy McGrady is the only recipient to win a scoring title as well as being the first recipient of the award to be named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Winners
![](../I/TracyMcGrady.jpg.webp)
![](../I/Monta_Ellis.jpg.webp)
![](../I/Kevin_Love_2.jpg.webp)
![](../I/Giannis_Antetokounmpo_(24845003687)_(cropped).jpg.webp)
^ | Denotes player who is still active in the NBA |
* | Elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame |
Season | Player | Position | Nationality | Team |
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1985–86 | Alvin Robertson | Guard | ![]() |
San Antonio Spurs |
1986–87 | Dale Ellis | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Seattle SuperSonics |
1987–88 | Kevin Duckworth | Center | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers |
1988–89 | Kevin Johnson | Guard | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns |
1989–90 | Rony Seikaly | Center | ![]() |
Miami Heat |
1990–91 | Scott Skiles | Guard | ![]() |
Orlando Magic |
1991–92 | Pervis Ellison | Center/Forward | ![]() |
Washington Bullets |
1992–93 | Chris Jackson | Guard | ![]() |
Denver Nuggets |
1993–94 | Don MacLean | Forward | ![]() |
Washington Bullets (2) |
1994–95 | Dana Barros | Guard | ![]() |
Philadelphia 76ers |
1995–96 | Gheorghe Mureșan | Center | ![]() |
Washington Bullets (3) |
1996–97 | Isaac Austin | Center | ![]() |
Miami Heat (2) |
1997–98 | Alan Henderson | Forward | ![]() |
Atlanta Hawks |
1998–99 | Darrell Armstrong | Guard | ![]() |
Orlando Magic (2) |
1999–00 | Jalen Rose | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Indiana Pacers |
2000–01 | Tracy McGrady* | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Orlando Magic (3) |
2001–02 | Jermaine O'Neal | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Indiana Pacers (2) |
2002–03 | Gilbert Arenas | Guard | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors |
2003–04 | Zach Randolph | Forward | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers (2) |
2004–05 | Bobby Simmons | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Los Angeles Clippers |
2005–06 | Boris Diaw | Forward | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns (2) |
2006–07 | Monta Ellis | Guard | ![]() |
Golden State Warriors (2) |
2007–08 | Hedo Türkoğlu | Forward | ![]() |
Orlando Magic (4) |
2008–09 | Danny Granger | Forward | ![]() |
Indiana Pacers (3) |
2009–10 | Aaron Brooks | Guard | ![]() |
Houston Rockets |
2010–11 | Kevin Love^ | Forward/Center | ![]() |
Minnesota Timberwolves |
2011–12 | Ryan Anderson | Forward | ![]() |
Orlando Magic (5) |
2012–13 | Paul George^ | Forward | ![]() |
Indiana Pacers (4) |
2013–14 | Goran Dragić^ | Guard | ![]() |
Phoenix Suns (3) |
2014–15 | Jimmy Butler^ | Guard/Forward | ![]() |
Chicago Bulls |
2015–16 | CJ McCollum^ | Guard | ![]() |
Portland Trail Blazers (3) |
2016–17 | Giannis Antetokounmpo^ | Forward | ![]() |
Milwaukee Bucks |
2017–18 | Victor Oladipo^ | Guard | ![]() |
Indiana Pacers (5) |
2018–19 | Pascal Siakam^ | Forward | ![]() |
Toronto Raptors |
2019–20 | Brandon Ingram^ | Forward | ![]() |
New Orleans Pelicans |
2020–21 | Julius Randle^ | Forward | ![]() |
New York Knicks |
2021–22 | Ja Morant^ | Guard | ![]() |
Memphis Grizzlies |
Teams
Awards | Teams | Years |
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5 | Indiana Pacers | 2000, 2002, 2009, 2013, 2018 |
Orlando Magic | 1991, 1999, 2001, 2008, 2012 | |
3 | Washington Bullets | 1992, 1994, 1996 |
Phoenix Suns | 1989, 2006, 2014 | |
Portland Trail Blazers | 1988, 2004, 2016 | |
2 | Miami Heat | 1990, 1997 |
Golden State Warriors | 2003, 2007 | |
1 | San Antonio Spurs | 1986 |
Seattle SuperSonics | 1987 | |
Denver Nuggets | 1993 | |
Philadelphia 76ers | 1995 | |
Atlanta Hawks | 1998 | |
Los Angeles Clippers | 2005 | |
Houston Rockets | 2010 | |
Minnesota Timberwolves | 2011 | |
Chicago Bulls | 2015 | |
Milwaukee Bucks | 2017 | |
Toronto Raptors | 2019 | |
New Orleans Pelicans | 2020 | |
New York Knicks | 2021 | |
Memphis Grizzlies | 2022 | |
0 | Utah Jazz | None |
Brooklyn Nets | ||
Los Angeles Lakers | ||
Boston Celtics | ||
Dallas Mavericks | ||
Charlotte Hornets | ||
Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
Oklahoma City Thunder | ||
Detroit Pistons | ||
See also
- NBA Development League Most Improved Player Award
Notes
References
- General
- "Most Improved Player". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on January 1, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2008.
- "Most Improved Player Award Winners". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved July 10, 2008.
- Specific
- "Golden State's Ellis Wins 2006–07 NBA Most Improved Player Award". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 26, 2007. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
- Stein, Marc (April 9, 2019). "This Is Who Should Win the 2018-19 N.B.A. Awards". The New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- Mahoney, Rob (January 28, 2014). "The Fundamentals: The many layers and many candidates for Most Improved Player". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- "Rony Seikaly". basketball-reference.com. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
- "Rony Seikaly" (in Spanish). Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2008.
- "All-Time USA Basketball Men's Roster: S". USA Basketball. Archived from the original on January 15, 2009. Retrieved November 18, 2008.