NBA Legends who were runners up in MVP votings!
For the record, I love basketball, which is my second favorite sport after wrestling. I like basketball since the players taking of their business by coming consistent performers, which helps me to up my game by becoming consistent in life. Therefore, I view most of these stars as my role models, even you Charles Barkley, lol, who told fans not to look at him as a role model. After the players work hard all season long, they deserve recognition for their efforts and performances as MVP winners. However, I wish the NBA could acknowledge those who felt short in MVP by ending up as runner ups. Therefore, this list would take a close look at those were came nearly took the trophy home with them. To avoid confusion, a lot of stars already won the award, but I wanted to acknowledge MVP winners who were nearly victorious in different seasons as well.
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Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 17, 1963. He was the fourth of five children born to James and Deloris. James Jordan was a mechanic and Deloris Jordan was a bank teller. Soon after Michael's birth, James and Deloris felt that the streets of Brooklyn were unsafe to raise a family, so they moved the family to Wilmington, North Carolina.
As a youngster, Michael immediately became interested in sports. However, it was baseball not basketball that was his first love. He would play catch in the yard with his father, who loved baseball. He soon started to play basketball to try and follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Larry, whom he idolized growing up.
At Laney High School, as a sophomore, he decided to try out for the varsity team but was cut because he was raw and undersized. The following summer, he grew four inches and practiced tirelessly. The hard work paid off as he averaged 25 points per game in his last two years and was selected to the McDonald's All-American Team as a senior.
Following high school, he earned a basketball scholarship from North Carolina University where he would play under legendary coach Dean Smith. In his first year, he was named ACC Freshman of the Year. He would help lead the Tarheels to the 1982 NCAA Championship, making the game-winning shot.
After winning the Naismith College Player of the Year award in 1984, Jordan decided to leave North Carolina to enter the NBA draft. Although he decided to leave college early, he would later return to the university in 1986 to complete his degree in geography.
In the 1984 NBA draft, he was selected with the third overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. As a rookie for the Bulls, he made an immediate impact, averaging an amazing 28.2 points a game, including six games where he scored 40+ points. He was selected to the NBA All-Star Game and named Rookie of the Year. This would just be the beginning of a career filled with awards and accolades. In the upcoming years, he would go on to win five regular season MVP awards, six NBA championships, six NBA finals MVP awards, three All-Star game MVP awards, and a defensive player of the year award.
In 1993, tragedy struck Jordan's seemingly perfect life. On July 23, 1993, his father, James, was murdered off Interstate 95 in North Carolina. Two locals had robbed him, shot him in the chest and threw his body in a swamp.
Three months later on October 6, 1993, following a run of three consecutive NBA championships, Jordan announced his retirement from basketball citing that "he no longer had the desire to play." Now "retired" at age 33, it was uncertain what Jordan would do next. Would he take a year off out of the public eye to grieve and then come back to the Bulls? Would he go out and look for a white collar job in the field of geography, his college major? Or would he take up a completely different hobby like golf?
In early 1994, Jordan decided to take up a new hobby alright. However, it wasn't golf. It was baseball. Despite not playing baseball since high school some 13 years ago, he signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox in 1994. He played one unspectacular season for the Double-A Birmingham Barons.
On March 18, 1995, Jordan, a man of few words since his retirement, sent two important words to media sources everywhere: "I'm Back". He celebrated his return to the NBA by doing what he always did best: winning. Although the Bulls would lose in the playoffs to the Orlando Magic, it was obvious that Jordan was still the same superstar player. He would go on to lead the Bulls to three more consecutive NBA championships and etch his place in the history as the "NBA's greatest player of all-time".
On January 13, 1999, Jordan re-announced his retirement, saying that "he was 99.9 percent sure that he would never play again". Soon after, Jordan became part owner of the Washington Wizards.
Near the start of the 2001-02 season, there were hints that Jordan may try another comeback to the NBA. On September 25, 2001, Jordan confirmed those rumors, announcing that he would once again return to the NBA as a member of the Wizards. His two seasons in Washington were mediocre at best. His statistics were solid and he showed some flashes of his old self but he could not lead the Wizards to the playoffs and missed several games due to injury. He retired for good following the 2002-03 season and was subsequently dismissed as president of the Washington Wizards.
In June 2006, he became part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. Later that year, he filed for divorce from Juanita, his wife of 17 years. They have three children together.Even though his five MVP trophies speaks volumes, he was also a strong candidate to win MVP during the 1986-1987 season, 1992-1993 season, and 1996-1997, which included him leading his team to a 69-13 record.- Actor
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Shaquille O'Neal is a retired professional American basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program Inside the NBA on TNT. He is considered one of the greatest players in National Basketball Association (NBA) history. He was one of the tallest and heaviest players ever. O'Neal played for six teams over his 19-year career.
O'Neal's individual accolades include the 1999-2000 MVP award, the 1992-93 NBA Rookie of the Year award, 15 All-Star game selections, three All-Star Game MVP awards, three Finals MVP awards, two scoring titles, 14 All-NBA team selections, and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He is one of only three players to win NBA MVP, All-Star game MVP and Finals MVP awards in the same year (2000); the other players are Willis Reed in 1970 and Michael Jordan in 1996 and 1998. Largely due to his ability to dunk the basketball, O'Neal ranks third all-time in field goal percentage (58.2%). O'Neal was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. He was elected to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017.
In addition to his basketball career, O'Neal has released four rap albums, with his first, Shaq Diesel, going platinum. O'Neal is an electronic music producer, and touring DJ, known as Diesel. He has appeared in numerous films and has starred in his own reality shows.Even though he won the MVP three consecutive times, he was the runner up for MVP during 2004-2005 by placing 2nd. Additionally, this consistent player place 2nd in MVP voting during the 1994-1995, which lead his team to reach the 1995 NBA Finals.- Actor
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Dirk Nowitzki was born on Monday, June 19th, 1978, in Wurzburg, Bavaria, Germany, Europe, as Dirk Werner Nowitzki. Dirk is a very active athlete & has become an actor, in sports events, especially basketball. He is best-known for being 24 for 24 in Western Conference Finals' Game 1, on Tuesday, May 17th, 2011, versus Oklahoma CIty Thunder. (This was the third round, Dallas Mavericks' first round opponent was Portland Trail-Blazers. Second round, Dallas swept defending NBA Champion team, Los Angeles Lakers the previous two seasons 4 to 0 & Dallas was 4 & 2, in the NBA Finals, versus Miami Heat. After going 24 for 24 at the free-throw line, (& 24 additional points from field goals, his score total of game one was 48). He was voted in as 2011's NBA Finals' MVP, after leading Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Championship. Nowitzki: The Perfect Shot (2014). Two others were 2011 NBA All-Star Game (2011) & 2003 NBA All-Star Game (2003). Dirk married Jessica Olsson, on Friday, July 20th, 2012. Dirk & Jessica's parenthood began on Wednesday, July 24th, 2013, (369 days = 52 weeks & 5 days) after matrimony, when their daughter was born. 20 months later, (608 days = 86 weeks & 6 days), differ between his daughter's date of birth & son's date of birth. Tuesday, March 24th, 2015, as their son was born.This MVP winner was the third runner up twice during 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 season, which shows up consistent this player was during the 2000s. He is the Larry Bird of his generation.- Producer
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LeBron James is an American basketball player and film producer who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers. He is one of the most accomplished basketball players of the 21st century. He played himself in Space Jam: A New Legacy and Trainwreck. He is the owner of a film production company called SpringHill Company.At the tender age of 20, he was the 2nd runner up of MVP during the 2005-2006 season. He would end up dominating the league by becoming a four time MVP winner.- Producer
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Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships, was an 18-time All-Star, a 15-time member of the All-NBA Team, a 12-time member of the All-Defensive Team, the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), and a two-time NBA Finals MVP. Bryant also led the NBA in scoring twice, and ranks fourth in league all-time regular season and postseason scoring. He was posthumously voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 and named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
Born in Philadelphia and partly raised in Italy, Bryant was recognized as the top American high-school basketball player while at Lower Merion. The son of former NBA player Joe Bryant, he declared for the 1996 NBA draft and was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 13th overall pick; he was then traded to the Lakers. As a rookie, Bryant earned a reputation as a high-flyer by winning the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, and was named an All-Star by his second season. Despite a feud with teammate Shaquille O'Neal, the pair led the Lakers to three consecutive NBA championships from 2000 to 2002.
In 2003, Bryant was charged with sexual assault;with the alleged victim being a 19 year old hotel employee. Criminal charges were later dropped after the accuser failed to testify, and a lawsuit was settled out of court, with Bryant issuing a public apology and admitting to a sexual encounter while maintaining the interaction was consensual. The accusation briefly tarnished Bryant's reputation, resulting in the loss of several of his endorsement contracts.
After the Lakers lost the 2004 NBA Finals, O'Neal was traded and Bryant became the cornerstone of the Lakers. He led the NBA in scoring in the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. On January 22, 2006, he scored a career-high 81 points; the second most points scored in a single NBA game, behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game. Bryant led the team to consecutive championships in 2009 and 2010, both times being named NBA Finals MVP. He continued to be among the top players in the league through the 2012-13 season, when he suffered a torn Achilles tendon at age 34. His next two seasons were cut short by injuries to his knee and shoulder, respectively. Citing physical decline, Bryant retired after the 2015-16 season. In 2017, the Lakers retired both his #8 and #24 jerseys, making him the only player in NBA history to have multiple jerseys retired by the same franchise.
The all-time leading scorer in Lakers history, Bryant was the first guard in NBA history to play 20 seasons. His 18 All-Star designations are the second most all time, and he has the most consecutive appearances as a starter. Bryant's four NBA All-Star Game MVP Awards are tied with Bob Pettit for the most in NBA history. He gave himself the nickname "Black Mamba" in the mid-2000s, and the epithet became widely adopted by the general public. He won gold medals on the 2008 and 2012 U.S. Olympic teams. In 2018, he won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for the film Dear Basketball (2017).
Bryant died, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others, in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, in 2020. A number of tributes and memorials were subsequently issued, including renaming the All-Star MVP Award in his honor.
He was. 5× NBA champion (2000-2002, 2009, 2010); 2× NBA Finals MVP (2009, 2010); NBA Most Valuable Player (2008); 18× NBA All-Star (1998, 2000-2016); 4× NBA All-Star Game MVP (2002, 2007, 2009, 2011); 11× All-NBA First Team (2002-2004, 2006-2013); 2× All-NBA Second Team (2000, 2001); 2× All-NBA Third Team (1999, 2005); 9× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2000, 2003, 2004, 2006-2011); 3× NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2001, 2002, 2012)While his 2008 MVP winner was well deserved, he finished up as runner up in MVP voting against Lebron James in 2008-2009 season. Also, during the 2006 season, he finished fourth place in MVP voting, which shows that Bryant can get the job done as a consistent player.- Actor
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Kevin Garnett is an American former professional basketball player who played for 21 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Known for his intensity, defensive ability, and versatility, Garnett is considered one of the greatest power forwards of all time. He is one of four NBA players to win both the Most Valuable Player and the Defensive Player of the Year awards. He entered the 1995 NBA draft, where he was selected with the fifth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves and became the first NBA player drafted directly out of high school in 20 years.
Garnett made an immediate impact with the Minnesota Timberwolves, leading them to eight consecutive playoff appearances. In 2004, he led the Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and won the NBA MVP Award. Garnett has been named to 15 All-Star Games, winning the All-Star MVP award in 2003, and is tied for third-most All-Star selections with 15. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2007-08, and has been selected nine times for All-NBA Teams and 12 times for All-Defensive Teams. Garnett holds several Timberwolves franchise records.
In 2007, after 12 seasons with the Timberwolves, Garnett joined the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster trade. In his first year with the Celtics, he helped lead them to the NBA championship, while finishing in third place for the MVP award. In 2013, Garnett was included in a second headline trade that sent him to the Brooklyn Nets with longtime Celtic Paul Pierce. In 2015, Garnett was traded back to Minnesota.
He announced his retirement from professional basketball in September 2016. Garnett made his feature film debut, playing a fictionalized version of himself, in the 2019 film Uncut Gems (2019).This 2004 MVP champ, was also the third runner up since he helped his team win the champion in 2008 against the Lakers. He also placed second in MVP voting during the 2002-2003 season.- Producer
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Dwyane Wade was born on 17 January 1982 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012), Shot in the Dark (2017) and Relentless. He has been married to Gabrielle Union since 30 August 2014. They have one child. He was previously married to Siohvaughn Wade.While he came very close in becoming MVP during the 2008-2009 season, it is shocking how this talented player never won the MVP award for the season. Instead Bryant and James finished ahead of him in the MVP race during the 2008-2009 season, which placed him as the third runner up.- Producer
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Chris Paul is an NBA basketball player for the Phoenix Suns. The Winston-Salem, North Carolina native is an twelve-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic Gold Medalist. Off the court, Paul has served as the President of the National Basketball Players Association since 2013. His business partnerships include the Jordan Brand, State Farm Insurance, Turner Impact Capital, Muzik, WTRMLN WTR, Beyond Meat, Uncharted Power, Calm, Fanatics, Panini Cards, and more. His production company, Ohh Dip!!! Productions, creates a wide range of projects across the spectrum of sports and entertainment for all platforms. Paul is part owner of the Winston-Salem Dash and is the co-founder of Go Hoop Day. His Chris Paul Family Foundation has given back to local communities since 2005.This talented player had finished second in MVP during the 2007-2008, which was won by Kobe Bryant in 2008. In 2008, He was gifted on the court since he lead his team to a franchise record of 56 wins, which proved that he was the Allen Iverson of the future. He is indeed the next Allen Iverson since he lead the league in assist 6 times.- Actor
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Blake Griffin was born on 16 March 1989 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Untitled Mortal Media Project, The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) and The Return of the Rocketeer.This slam dunk champion and rookie of the year winner finished third in the MVP polls during the 2013-2014 season.- Producer
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Tony Parker, is a former professional basketball player, playing as a point guard. He began his career with the Paris Basket Racing in Pro A, before joining the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted by the Spurs in 28th place in 2001, he quickly became their playing master and, along with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, formed one of the most successful lines in NBA history.
"TP" presents one of the finest achievements in French sport: he won four NBA championship titles (2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014), all with the Spurs, and guided France to the title of European Champion in 2013, competition during which he also finished "best player" (MVP) and top scorer. Being the first French player to be crowned NBA champion, he is also the first European player to receive the title of MVP of the NBA finals in 2007. He has also been selected six times for the NBA All-Star Game.
After 18 years in the Texas franchise, he ended his career after a season with the Charlotte Hornets. A man with many hats, Tony Parker is involved in many projects, especially in tourism with the purchase of the ski resort of Villard-de-Lans Corrençon in the Alps; film and audiovisual production or the field of education with the inauguration of the Tony Parker Adéquat Academy in 2019.Due to helping his team having the best record of the season, he placed fifth in the MVP race during the 2011-2012 lockdown season, which was won by Derrick Rose who was the youngest player to win MVP at 22 years old.- Actor
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One of the most controversial Basketball players of all time, Allen Iverson is one of the most loved and hated figures in Basketball. Born Allen Ezail Iverson in Hampton, Virginia, he grew up very poor to a struggling mother and a father who deserted him. Growing up, he was very athletic, playing football and basketball throughout most of his education prior to college. Iverson began focusing on basketball at his mother's insistence, despite wanting to be a football player. He proved to be a talented basketball player. At Bethel High School in Newport News, he began his high school basketball career. He developed a reputation of talking a lot and being uncoachable. To say he had a rough childhood is quite an understatement. On one of his places of residence, he walked through knee-deep sewage daily. During one summer, he witnessed the death of almost ten of his closest friends. Iverson first came to the national spotlight in 1993 in a controversial incident surrounding violent events at a bowling alley in Newport News. While the events that happened there will never be fully known, the generally accepted story is that some white students got into an argument with Iverson and his friends. The first question surrounding the event is whether he started it or if the white kids started it. Also, the question surrounded whether or not he assaulted a white woman by hitting her over the head with a chair. The prosecution insisted that surveillance tapes undoubtedly showed Iverson was the culprit, but in reality the tapes showed nothing conclusive. Two factors did him in at his hearing; first of all, two white people said they saw him assault the girl. Secondly, the judge was from the very conservative southeast Virginia establishment and did not have any sympathy for Iverson, his background or his talent. Seeing that Iverson requested a bench trial, this was crucial to his case. To add fuel to the fire, Allen Iverson flew in for the weekend from a tournament to be in Virginia for his trial. This played into the prosecution's hands and also upset the judge, both of whom saw this as evidence that Iverson did not respect the law. He was sentenced to a 5 -year jail term. This case sparked a tremendous amount of national attention. The case caught the interest of Bill Cosby and Spike Lee, who would be a fan and advocate of Iverson for many years. People all around the Newport News area started a movement to free Allen Iverson. He spent only four months in jail. Governor Douglas Wilder pardoned him. This move all but ended his political career and sparked another controversy. Wilder was also black, and white voters in Virginia viewed this move in a very racist light. Iverson was viewed now in much of white America as essentially a convicted felon who was out of prison only because a black man was governor of his state. Iverson got out conditionally, however. He had to adhere to a curfew and could not play basketball until he got his high school diploma. He could not accept a scholarship to the University of Kentucky but did get a scholarship once he completed his high school education in a learning center. During this time, he received his nickname, the answer. He was called such because his friends said he was the answer to basketball's conformity so to speak, people that conformed to this family friendly image, such as Charles Barkley, Isiah Thomas and most importantly, Michael Jordan, who was a childhood hero of his. He accepted a scholarship to Georgetown where John Thompson coached him. Thompson became somewhat of a father figure to him, but he was hard to manage, and the two had a workable but very turbulent relationship. Iverson completed only two years of his education where he became the top NBA draft pick in 1996. He was drafted by the ailing Philadelphia 76ers in 1996. Iverson is immersed in hip-hop culture. This made him an incredibly controversial figure in basketball. His clothing looked more like a gangster rappers than it did Michael Jordan's. On the court he seemed to embody the gangster rapper's image. He had an arm covering on one arm when he played, and also was one of the first players to have cornrows; a hairstyle up until that time was popular in prison. To make matters worse, he had an incredibly "in your face" style, which did not sit well with older players like Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and others. Jordan said of him when Jordan's Bulls played Iverson's 76ers, that he had no respect for the game. Despite this, no one denied Iverson's talent. He could hustle the ball, could get around even the tallest players. He became known for his fast drives to the baskets and his ability to fake the ball in a move called the crossover. Spike Lee lost respect for him when he turned down his invitation to star in the film He Got Game (1998). As a very pointed move, Lee cast former collegiate rival Ray Allen in the part. The Sixers found themselves suddenly a respectable team. They acquired a new coach, the unusual Larry Brown. As a player in the ABA almost twenty years ago, Brown was also a young outsider fighting the system. Larry Brown now was a button-down-suit-and-tie coach. The two did not get along well at first; in fact, their relationship at best was serviceable. Brown was always unhappy with Iverson for not showing up to practice. Iverson insisted his game was pure inspiration, and he had little need for practice. The two rarely saw eye to eye. He received a tremendous number of awards in his short career. He was named rookie of the year in 1997, and on more than one occasion, he was an All NBA First Team, NBA All Star, was an All Star MVP, and received perhaps what was his crowning achievement to date when he was NBA MVP in 2001. That year, Iverson led his team to the NBA finals, but had a rough ride against Kobe Bryant and 'Shaquille O'Neal (I)''s Lakers. They lost the championship in game five of the series. It was still quite an achievement because the Sixers had not been to the finals since Dr. J (Julius Erving) and Moses Malone led them to victory over the Lakers in 1983 in a 4-0 sweep. Iverson has over 20 tattoos. Each tattoo is a symbol of his life. One denotes the name of his group of friends he has known since childhood, Cru Thik, another who says the answer, another who is dedicated to his mom who is a strong presence as Sixers games, and many others. He married his high school sweetheart Tawanna Turner and they have two children.He was the other player to receive one vote in the MVP polls during the 1999-2000, which was dominated by Shaq- Actor
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Larry Bird graduated from Springs Valley High School in French Lick, Indiana in 1974. He attended Indiana University briefly, then transferred to Indiana State University in Terre Haute. He then embarked on an outstanding basketball career, establishing himself as one of the best shooting forwards in the history of the game. The Boston Celtics made him their first round selection in 1978 (the sixth pick overall), but Bird had another year of eligibility left and decided to play one more year at ISU. He led the Sycamores to the 1979 NCAA Title Game versus Michigan State that year, and his battle in that game with MSU's Magic Johnson touched off the best basketball rivalry of the 1980s. Bird joined the Celtics in the fall of 1979 and played with them his entire career. He led the Celtics to five NBA Finals appearances, winning championships in 1981, 1984 and 1986. Bird won three straight league MVPs (1984-86), two NBA Finals MVPs (1984, 86), NBA Rookie of the Year (1980), and was selected as a first team NBA all star nine times. Back injuries forced him to retire in 1992, and his number 33 was promptly retired by the Celtics.
He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. in 1998.This consecutive three MVP winner was runner up to Moses Malone in 1982 and 1983, which means Larry Bird was playing some season ball during the 80s.- Actor
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is an American retired professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. During his career as a center, Abdul-Jabbar was a record six-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP), a record 19-time NBA All-Star, a 15-time All-NBA selection, and an 11-time NBA All-Defensive Team member. A member of six NBA championship teams as a player and two more as an assistant coach, Abdul-Jabbar twice was voted NBA Finals MVP. In 1996, he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History.
In 1975, he was traded to the Lakers, with whom he played the final 14 seasons of his career and won five additional NBA championships. Abdul-Jabbar's contributions were a key component in the "Showtime" era of Lakers basketball. Over his 20-year NBA career, his teams succeeded in making the playoffs 18 times and got past the first round 14 times; his teams reached the NBA Finals on 10 occasions.
At the time of his retirement at age 42 in 1989, Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA's all-time leader in points scored (38,387), games played (1,560), minutes played (57,446), field goals made (15,837), field goal attempts (28,307), blocked shots (3,189), defensive rebounds (9,394), career wins (1,074), and personal fouls (4,657). In 2007, ESPN voted him the greatest center of all time, in 2008, they named him the "greatest player in college basketball history", and in 2016, they named him the second best player in NBA history (behind Michael Jordan). Abdul-Jabbar has also been an actor, a basketball coach, and a best-selling author.He was a serious contender for the MVP award by ending up as runner up during the 1972-1973 season.- Actor
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Wilton Norman Chamberlain was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Olivia Ruth (Johnson), a domestic worker, and William Chamberlain, a welder, custodian, and handyman. Wilt didn't come from a race of giants as many thought. Both his parents were no bigger than 5-9, but as a young boy he began a growth spurt which would eventually stop when he reached 7-1. That height made him legendary in sports history as arguably the greatest basketball player ever. Chamberlain played at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia, and collegiately at Kansas University, where he led the Jayhawks to the NCAA finals. Kansas lost in title game to North Carolina and that game haunted Chamberlain throughout his career and gave birth to the unfair image of him as a "loser." He left Kansas as an underclassman to play professionally for the Harlem Globetrotters, and after a year with them, signed to play with his hometown team in the NBA, the then-named Philadelphia Warriors. With the Warriors he performed some astonishing feats that no NBA player before or since accomplished.During 1971-1972 season, he was a runner up to the MVP award, which was won by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It was a battle of the giant since both men were listed at 7 feet tall.- Jerry West was born on 28 May 1938 in Chelyan, West Virginia, USA. He is an actor, known for Uncle Drew (2018), Arli$$ (1996) and Vince's Places (2022). He has been married to Karen Christine Bua since 28 May 1978. They have two children. He was previously married to Martha Jane Kane.During 1971-1972, he was also a runner up of the MVP award, which showed how come the race was between Kareem, Chamberlain, and West. These three men played some serious ball during the early 1970s.