Finals MVP - Years of College

[90sgoat]

Since it become possible for high school kids to join NBA in 1974:

Year - Player - Years in College

1975 - Rick Barry - 3
1976 - Jojo White - 4
1977 - Bill Walton - 3
1978 - Wes Unseld - 3
1979 - Dennis Johnson - 1
1980 - Magic Johnson - 2
1981 - Cedric Maxwell - 4
1982 - Magic Johnson - 2
1983 - Moses Malone - 0
1984 - Larry Bird - 3
1985 - Kareem - 3
1986 - Larry Bird - 3
1987 - Magic Johnson - 2
1988 - James Worthy - 3
1989 - Joe Dumars - 4
1990 - Isiah Thomas - 2
1991 - Michael Jordan - 3
1992 - Michael Jordan - 3
1993 - Michael Jordan - 3
1994 - Hakeem - 3
1995 - Hakeem - 3
1996 - Michael Jordan - 3
1997 - Michael Jordan - 3
1998 - Michael Jordan - 3
1999 - Tim Duncan - 4
2000 - Shaq - 3
2001 - Shaq - 3
2002 - Shaq - 3
2003 - Duncan - 4
2004 - Chauncey Billups - 2
2005 - Tim Duncan - 4
2006 - Dwayne Wade - 2
2007 - Tony Parker - N/A
2008 - Paul Pierce - 3
2009 - Kobe Bryant - 0
2010 - Kobe Bryant - 0
2011 - Dirk - N/A
2012 - Lebron - 0
2013 - Lebron - 0
2014 - Kawhi Leonard - 2
2015 - Andre Igoudala - 2

Average Years in College (unique players): 2.5

It's pretty obvious, if you want to be Finals MVP you should go to college.

ONLY Kobe, Lebron and Malone has won FMVP going pro from high school.

[SouBeachTalents]

2009 - Kobe Bryant - 0
2010 - Kobe Bryant - 0
2011 - Dirk - N/A
2012 - Lebron - 0
2013 - Lebron - 0
2014 - Kawhi Leonard - 2
2015 - Steph Curry - 4

Average Years in College (unique players): 2.5

It's pretty obvious, if you want to be Finals MVP you should go to college

First, Curry didn't win FMVP. Didn't get a single vote actually

And secondly, recent trends look like it doesn't matter that much

[3ball]

First, Curry didn't win FMVP. Didn't get a single vote actually

And secondly, recent trends look like it doesn't matter that much
you're a fool if you think lebron james and kobe bryants are coming out of HS on any sort of regular basis...

guys like that come along once every 10-15 years and their Finals performance pales in comparison to guys who WENT to college (Magic, Bird, MJ)

[pastis]

hi @ curry :lol :lol

btw: Dirk Nowitzki didnt go to college as well. right from high school and german second basketball division to the nba:lol

[90sgoat]

First, Curry didn't win FMVP. Didn't get a single vote actually

And secondly, recent trends look like it doesn't matter that much

You notice that the Dynastic players, Bird, Magic, Hakeem, MJ, Shaq, Duncan, except for Magic, they all have 3 or more seasons in college.

[90sgoat]

hi @ curry :lol :lol

btw: Dirk Nowitzki didnt go to college as well. right from high school and german second basketball division to the nba:lol

Parker and Nowitski doesn't matter, they have played high level basketball from a young age. Likely Nowitsky played with adults since he was 15 or so. This is a massive difference to US high schoolers beasting on short, skinny teenagers.

Nowitsky might have played in lower league, but he played fully physically and mentally mature adults and that is a world of difference.

[Kawhi]

Of course the number of MVP's who didn't skip college is much bigger, since there's only been around 60 players who went pro straight from high school. These type of things only say something when it's 50/50.

[pastis]

Parker and Nowitski doesn't matter, they have played high level basketball from a young age. Likely Nowitsky played with adults since he was 15 or so. This is a massive difference to US high schoolers beasting on short, skinny teenagers.

Nowitsky might have played in lower league, but he played fully physically and mentally mature adults and that is a world of difference.

haha. most of us high schoolers look like 10x more muscular than any second divison player in germany. and highly doubt that any second division coach is better than a mediocre high school coach in the us. at least from the better schools

[Real Men Wear Green]

This is severely misleading. Players didn't regularly start skipping college until KG did it in '95 and then it stopped when the NBA banned it in 2006.

[3ball]

The Finals performance of the best players that skipped college pales in comparison to the Finals performances of guys that went to college.

[jlip]

Magic only went to college one year.

[90sgoat]

Magic only went to college one year.

2 according to http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/magic-johnson-1.html

[jlip]

2 according to http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/magic-johnson-1.html

You're right. I stand corrected. :cheers:

[ralph_i_el]

You notice that the Dynastic players, Bird, Magic, Hakeem, MJ, Shaq, Duncan, except for Magic, they all have 3 or more seasons in college.
You notice that there wasn't a very long period of time when players came right from high school right?

[FKAri]

I think OP is one of the dumber "90s" posters on here. He's probably a parody account. I honestly think 3ball makes more sense than this guy.


You notice that the Dynastic players, Bird, Magic, Hakeem, MJ, Shaq, Duncan, except for Magic, they all have 3 or more seasons in college.
Because high school -> pros wasn't an option. I doubt they turn down money and go to college if the option was presented to them.


This is severely misleading. Players didn't regularly start skipping college until KG did it in '95 and then it stopped when the NBA banned it in 2006.
Just ban him already :lol

[ralph_i_el]

This is severely misleading. Players didn't regularly start skipping college until KG did it in '95 and then it stopped when the NBA banned it in 2006.
^This
And even during that time, most people still went to college.

So we're comparing the best of a very large group of players (went to college) against the best players from a very small group (skipped college).

If you look at the quality of the average player that skipped college, it will be higher than the average value of players that went to college. This is because most of the people who skipped college did so because of elite potential.

[90sgoat]

Moses Malone was drafted straight from high school you fakkits.

I hope you realize all basketball experts agree with me particularly including Steve Kerr.

http://grantland.com/features/steve-kerr-problems-age-limit-nba/

You really ought to read it.

[ArbitraryWater]

OP with the WOAT thread
Doesnt get much dumber

[Real Men Wear Green]

Moses Malone was drafted straight from high school you fakkits.
Yeah Moses Malone was drafted...by the ABA. You seem to take some weird satisfaction out of misinforming. Enjoy your little trolling/slur ban.