| | 1956 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis |
| | 1957 - Bob Cousy, Boston |
| | 1958 - Bill Russell, Boston |
| | 1959 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis |
| | 1960 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia |
| | 1961 - Bill Russell, Boston |
| | 1962 - Bill Russell, Boston |
| | 1963 - Bill Russell, Boston |
| | 1964 - Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati |
| | 1965 - Bill Russell, Boston |
| | 1966 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia |
| | 1967 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia |
| | 1968 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia |
| | 1969 - Wes Unseld, Baltimore |
| | 1970 - Willis Reed, New York |
| | 1971 - Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Milwaukee |
| | 1972 - Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), Milwaukee |
| | 1973 - Dave Cowens, Boston |
| | 1974 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee |
| | 1975 - Bob McAdoo, Buffalo |
| | 1976 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers |
| | 1977 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers |
| | 1978 - Bill Walton, Portland |
| | 1979 - Moses Malone, Houston |
| | 1980 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers |
| | 1981 - Julius Erving, Philadelphia |
| | 1982 - Moses Malone, Houston |
| | 1983 - Moses Malone, Philadelphia |
| | 1984 - Larry Bird, Boston |
| | 1985 - Larry Bird, Boston |
| | 1986 - Larry Bird, Boston |
| | 1987 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers |
| | 1988 - Michael Jordan, Chicago |
| | 1989 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers |
| | 1990 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers |
| | 1991 - Michael Jordan, Chicago |
| | 1992 - Michael Jordan, Chicago |
| | 1993 - Charles Barkley, Phoenix |
| | 1994 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston |
| | 1995 - David Robinson, San Antonio |
| | 1996 - Michael Jordan, Chicago |
| | 1997 - Karl Malone, Utah |
| | 1998 - Michael Jordan, Chicago |
| | 1999 - Karl Malone, Utah |
| | 2000 - Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers |
| | 2001 - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia |
| | 2002 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio |
| | 2003 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio |
| | 2004 - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota |
| | 2005 - Steve Nash, Phoenix |
| | 2006 - Steve Nash, Phoenix |
| | 2007 - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas |
| | 2008 - Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers |