By John Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Giannis Antetokounmpo landed the NBA MVP Award for the 2018-19 Regular Season on Monday evening. The Greek Freak became the 34th different most valuable player in NBA history, only the second from Europe after Dirk Nowitzki and the fourth born outside the US, after Steve Nash and Hakeem Olajuwon.
The achievement places him among the most important players to have ever played the game of basketball, as the list of previous winners proves.
All recipients of the NBA MVP Award:
1955-56: Bob Pettit (USA)
1956-57: Bob Cousy (USA)
1957-58: Bill Russell (USA)
1958-59: Bob Pettit (USA)
1959-60: Wilt Chamberlain (USA)
1960-61: Bill Russell (USA)
1961-62: Bill Russell (USA)
1962-63: Bill Russell (USA)
1963-64: Oscar Robertson (USA)
1964-65: Bill Russell (USA)
1965-66: Wilt Chamberlain (USA)
1966-67: Wilt Chamberlain (USA)
1967-68: Wilt Chamberlain (USA)
1968-69: Wes Unseld (USA)
1969-70: Willis Reed (USA)
1970-71: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (USA)
1971-72: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (USA)
1972-73: Dace Cowens (USA)
1973-74: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (USA)
1974-75: Bob McAdoo (USA)
1975-76: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (USA)
1976-77: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (USA)
1977-78: Bill Walton (USA)
1978-79: Moses Malone (USA)
1979-80: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (USA)
1980-81: Julius Erving (USA)
1981-82: Moses Malone (USA)
1982-83: Moses Malone (USA)
1983-84: Larry Bird (USA)
1984-85: Larry Bird (USA)
1985-86: Larry Bird (USA)
1986-87: Magic Johnson (USA)
1987-88: Michael Jordan (USA)
1988-89: Magic Johnson (USA)
1989-90: Magic Johnson (USA)
1990-91: Michael Jordan (USA)
1991-92: Michael Jordan (USA)
1992-93: Charles Barkley (USA)
1993-94: Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria)
1994-95: David Robinson (USA)
1995-96: Michael Jordan (USA)
1996-97: Karl Malone (USA)
1997-98: Michael Jordan (USA)
1998-99: Karl Malone (USA)
1999-2000: Shaquille O’Neal (USA)
2000-01: Allen Iverson (USA)
2001-02: Tim Duncan (USA)
2002-03: Tim Duncan (USA)
2003-04: Kevin Garnett (USA)
2004-05: Steve Nash (Canada)
2005-06: Steve Nash (Canada)
2006-07: Dirk Nowitzki (Germany)
2007-08: Kobe Bryant (USA)
2008-09: LeBron James (USA)
2009-10: LeBron James (USA)
2010-11: Derrick Rose (USA)
2011-12: LeBron James (USA)
2012-13: LeBron James (USA)
2013-14: Kevin Durant (USA)
2014-15: Stephen Curry (USA)
2015-16: Stephen Curry (USA)
2016-17: Russell Westbrook (USA)
2017-18: James Harden (USA)
2018-19: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece)