In my opinion, one of the best awards a player can achieve for his legacy is the NBA Finals MVP.
It is harder on an individual level to win league MVP, but when comparing yourself to other all-time greats, what matters most is proving that you can win. Being the best player on a championship team is what matters most when talking about the best to ever do it.
There are a good number of players whose all-time ranking would skyrocket with a Finals MVP.
Without further ado, here are the 10 players with the most to gain by winning the 2025 Finals MVP.
(Disclaimer: I left off LeBron James and Stephen Curry since they are both already top-10 players of all time. Therefore, winning another Finals MVP would not do a lot for their legacy.)
10. Jaylen Brown
We’ll start with the reigning Finals MVP. Coming off this awesome achievement, Brown has been somewhat disappointing this year. Winning another Finals MVP would erase pretty much all of the stigma around him. There would be no more chatter that he’s “way overpaid” or “all he can do is score.” It would only be, “Jaylen Brown is one of 13 guys in NBA history with two Finals MVPs.”
9. Anthony Edwards
Speaking of guys who can become the greatest player of their franchise, let’s talk about Edwards. With a Finals MVP, Edwards would become, at worst, the second-best player ever to play for the Wolves. Even though he would have the ring, I think he would need to play for another year or two to catch up to Kevin Garnett, who was there for 12 years. With this being said, Edwards would also join a very short list of players to win a championship and lead his team to the conference finals as the best player on both teams within the first five years of his career. Lastly, Edwards will likely become a top-five player in the league by winning this award. It’s a longshot, but crazier things have happened.
ANTHONY EDWARDS TO THE RACK 😱 pic.twitter.com/H3po6Izar9
— NBA (@NBA) April 5, 2025
8. Jalen Brunson
Brunson was one of the most talked-about players in the league last season and finished in the top five in MVP voting. What most people do not realize is that he was debatably better this year before getting injured. Brunson has already won the Knicks two playoff series, which is more than they had in the 10 years before he joined the team. He can show up at any bar in New York City without having to pay for a drink.
By winning a Finals MVP, Brunson would become the king of the biggest city in the nation. This would place his name in the history books with a permanent marker. Even if people would still hesitate to rank him higher due to his late prime, he would still be considered one of the best players of all time for one of the most well-known franchises in the league. In my opinion, this is a bigger deal than any all-time ranking list.
7. Kawhi Leonard
Up next, we have the guy with the weirdest career of all time. Good luck naming another two-time Finals MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-NBA First Teamer, and six-time All-Star who also happens to be one of the biggest “what if?” stories ever. Leonard has shown us he is one of the better playoff risers in the league.
By winning another Finals MVP, he would join five other guys with at least three of them. That would place him among elite company, including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Tim Duncan, and Shaquille O’Neal. All of these guys are top-10 or top-five players. I’m not saying Leonard would be on this level, but he would work his way into top-25 conversations. He has not finished a season with his team in six of the last eight years. Hopefully, this year will end the trend.
6. Jimmy Butler
If you had told me in December that I would be entertaining the idea of Butler winning Finals MVP, I would have said you were crazy. Since joining the Warriors, though, he has looked like prime Butler again. By winning Finals MVP, he would join an elite company of guys who were the best players on two teams that made the finals, and a Finals MVP on top of that. I currently have him in the sixties for his all-time ranking. I think winning a Finals MVP would cement him in the top 50 and even creep into top-40 discussions.
JIMMY BUTLER III-POINT PLAYS.
A COMMONALITY.
He’s got 16 early on TNT 🔥 #SoFiPlayIn pic.twitter.com/FHRF2AqjwP
— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2025
5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
The guy who will likely win MVP comes in at No. 5. Gilgeous-Alexander has had a unique career. He has been solid for a good amount of his career, but he was never really in consideration as a top-10 guy in the league until a couple of seasons ago. This year, he popped big time and had arguably the best guard scoring season since Curry.
If he were to win a ring this year with a Finals MVP, it would be looked at as one of the best seasons of all time. Additionally, he would be joining a list of 21 other guys with three All-NBA First Teams, plus a Finals MVP. Lastly, he would be regarded as the best player to ever wear a Thunder uniform. They have not been in the league for long, but being the best player in franchise history for a team that had peak Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook is extremely impressive.
4. Jayson Tatum
I am not sure if I have seen a player treated worse after winning a championship. Since winning the NBA title last year, Tatum has been slandered for not winning Finals MVP and being benched for two games in the Olympics. By winning Finals MVP this year, he would silence a whole lot of his haters. Tatum is likely going to make his fourth All-NBA First Team. By winning a Finals MVP, he would join 14 other guys with four All-NBA First Teams, two league championships, and a Finals MVP. He would enter conversations with a lot of all-time greats with these achievements.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
It feels like Antetokounmpo has been talked about so little recently because of his team’s success. With this being said, if Antetokounmpo somehow finds a way to lead his team to a championship, it would do wonders for his career. He would be one of eight players with two Finals MVPs and seven All-NBA First Teams. Everyone with those accolades is in my personal top 10. I’m not sure if Antetokounmpo will ever be considered a top-10 player, but he will begin knocking on the door with another Finals MVP.
2. Nikola Jokic
Speaking of guys who will be put in insane conversations, I think Jokic has a ton to gain from winning a Finals MVP. He likely will not win league MVP this year, but he should finish runner-up. Winning three MVPs in five years and finishing second in the other two is one of the best peaks in league history. By winning a second Finals MVP, he would join six other guys with three MVPs and two Finals MVPs. Similar to Antetokounmpo, they are both borderline top-15 players right now, but they’d knock on the door for the top 10 with more wins.
NIKOLA JOKIĆ, HISTORYMAKER!
🃏 29.6 PPG (3rd in NBA)
🃏 12.7 RPG (3rd in NBA)
🃏 10.2 APG (2nd in NBA)Since per-game stats began in 1969-70, Nikola Jokić is the FIRST player to finish top 3 in PPG, RPG, & APG in a single season 🤯 pic.twitter.com/19advhKc3c
— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2025
1. Luka Doncic
Doncic has the most to gain from a Finals MVP. Not only will it do so much for his already decorated resume, but talk about a redemption story. This is a guy who embarrassed himself on his home court in Game 3 of the NBA Finals by getting fouled out with two bone-headed defensive plays in the fourth quarter, essentially knocking his team out of contention. After this, his home country’s team did not qualify for the Olympics. And as if he needed more stigma around his name, he got traded on a random Saturday night when no one expected it.
Leading the team with the biggest brand in the NBA and securing a Finals MVP would change Doncic’s legacy forever. So what if he’s too ball dominant, or out of shape, or bad on defense? He is the only player in modern NBA history to have five All-NBA First Teams in his first six years, and he’d likely be one of the only players in history to lead his team to a conference finals, finals appearance, and championship in a span of four years so early in his career. Lastly, winning this ring would be the biggest revenge story for a player who got traded (against his own will) in the middle of the season.
Conclusion
In today’s NBA, winning a Finals MVP can do more for a player’s legacy than almost any other accolade. While individual stats and regular-season success are important, being the best player on a championship team cements a player in basketball history. For the stars listed, a 2025 Finals MVP could elevate their all-time standing dramatically. Whether it’s solidifying greatness, silencing critics, or rewriting narratives, this award has the power to transform careers.
Main Image Credit: Los Angeles Clippers/NBA.com
