Michael Jordan has won 5 regular-season MVP awards with the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls have had a player be named the MVP of the regular seasons six times in franchise history. Five of those awards were won by the same player. Let’s dig into those campaigns and discuss the path that led to each award.
Michael Jordan – 1987-88
The Bulls selected Jordan with the third pick in the 1984 Draft. He won the Rookie of the Year award and made the All-Star team in his first season. In 1986-87, he led the league in scoring at 37.1 points per game and finished second in MVP voting. He then took home his first career regular season MVP award in 1987-88, averaging 35.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 3.2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. Jordan also won the Defensive Player of the Year award that season.
Michael Jordan – 1990-91
Jordan finished second in MVP voting in 1988-89 and third in 1989-90. He then took home the honor again in 1990-91, averaging 31.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.7 steals per game. He played in all 82 games and averaged 37 minutes. The Bulls went on to win a championship that season with Jordan also being named Finals MVP.
Michael Jordan – 1991-92
Jordan repeated as regular season MVP in 1991-92, averaging 30.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.3 steals per game. He was extremely efficient, shooting 51.9% from the field and 83.2% from the free-throw line. The Bulls won the championship again that season and Jordan was once again named Finals MVP.
Michael Jordan – 1995-96
Jordan retired following the 1992-93 season to play baseball. He made his return to the NBA during the 1994-95 season, appearing in just 17 games. He played all 82 games in 1995-96, averaging 30.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.2 steals. That earned him his fourth career regular season MVP award. The Bulls also won the NBA title with Jordan being named Finals MVP.
Michael Jordan – 1997-98
After finishing second in MVP voting in 1996-97, Jordan was named MVP in 1997-98 after averaging 28.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals. It marked the third straight season that he led the league in points per game. The Bulls went on to win their third straight championship with Jordan winning his third straight Finals MVP. In addition to his five regular season MVPs, Jordan was named Finals MVP six times during his career.
Derrick Rose – 2010-11
The Bulls selected Rose with the first pick in the 2008 Draft. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 2008-09, then made his first All-Star team in 2009-10. In 2010-11, he took his game to another level by averaging 25.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game. Not only did he make the All-Star team again, but he won the MVP award.
Rose battled multiple knee injuries during his career, which included him being forced to miss the entire 2012-13 season. His tenure with the Bulls eventually came to an end following the 2015-16 season. Across 406 career regular season games with the franchise, Rose averaged 19.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists.
