LNB Élite MVP

LNB Élite Most Valuable Player Award
SportBasketball
LeagueLNB Élite
Awarded forBest performing player in the season of the LNB Élite
History
Most winsTwo players (1)
Most recentT. J. Shorts, Paris Basketball (2024–25)

The LNB Élite Most Valuable Player Award is the most valuable playeraward of the top-tier level men's professional clubbasketball league in France, the LNB Élite. Maxi-Basket holds the vote, and calls it the referendum.

The record for most MVP awards is hold by Antoine Rigaudeau who won five awards. Victor Wembanyama is the youngest player to ever win the award, as he won it at age 19, in 2023.[1]

Player of the Year awards (before 1983)

Alain Gilles was a 3 time Player of the Year (1965, 1967, 1968).

Before 1983, the title of the best player in the league was sometimes assigned by a panel of journalists, but the charts are incomplete.

Two awards (1983–2014)

Between 1983 and 2005, the monthly Maxi-Basket conducted a vote of the players and headcoaches of the league. Since 2005, the coaches and captains of the LNB Pro A clubs, and a panel of fifty journalists are asked to vote.[2]

Since the 2014–15 LNB Pro A season, the MVP award is a single unified award. Prior to that, it was divided into two separate awards, one for French players, and one for non-French players.

Season France French Domestic Player's MVP Foreign Player's MVP
1982–83 FrancePhilippe Szanyiel (ASVEL) United StatesEd Murphy (Limoges)
1983–84 FranceHervé Dubuisson (Stade) United StatesEd Murphy (Limoges)
1984–85 FranceRichard Dacoury (Limoges) United StatesEd Murphy (Limoges)
1985–86 FranceStéphane Ostrowski (Limoges) United StatesKevin Figaro (Challans)
1986–87 FranceFreddy Hufnagel (Orthez) United StatesBill Varner (Antibes)
1987–88 FranceStéphane Ostrowski (Limoges) United StatesDon Collins (Limoges)
1988–89 FranceStéphane Ostrowski (Limoges) United StatesDon Collins (Limoges)
1989–90 FranceStéphane Ostrowski (Limoges) United StatesDon Collins (Limoges)
1990–91 FranceAntoine Rigaudeau (Cholet) United StatesMichael Brooks (Limoges)
1991–92 FranceAntoine Rigaudeau (Cholet) United StatesMichael Brooks (Limoges)
1992–93 FranceAntoine Rigaudeau (Cholet) United StatesMichael Young (Limoges)
1993–94 FranceAntoine Rigaudeau (Cholet) United StatesMichael Young (Limoges)
1994–95 FranceYann Bonato (Paris) United StatesDavid Rivers (Antibes)
1995–96 FranceAntoine Rigaudeau (Orthez) United StatesDelaney Rudd (ASVEL)
1996–97 FranceYann Bonato (Limoges) United StatesDelaney Rudd (ASVEL)
1997–98 FranceJim Bilba (ASVEL) United StatesJerry McCullough (BCM)
1998–99 FranceLaurent Foirest (Orthez) United StatesKeith Jennings (MSB)
1999–00 FranceMoustapha Sonko (ASVEL) United StatesMarcus Brown (Limoges)
2000–01 FranceJim Bilba (ASVEL) United StatesBill Edwards (ASVEL)
2001–02 FranceCyril Julian (Nancy) SpainRoger Esteller (Orthez)
2002–03 FranceBoris Diaw (Orthez) United StatesRico Hill (MSB)
2003–04 FranceLaurent Foirest (Orthez) United StatesRick Hughes (SIG)
2004–05 FranceLaurent Sciarra (BCM) United StatesJermaine Guice (STB)
2005–06 FranceCyril Julian (Nancy) United StatesJason Rowe (Toulon)
2006–07FranceCyril Julian (Nancy) United StatesDewarick Spencer (Roanne)
2007–08FranceNando de Colo (Cholet) United StatesMarc Salyers (Roanne)
2008–09FranceAlain Koffi (MSB) United StatesAustin Nichols (Toulon)
2009–10FranceAli Traoré (ASVEL) Dominican RepublicRicardo Greer (Nancy)
2010–11FranceMickaël Gelabale (ASVEL) Dominican RepublicSammy Mejia (Cholet)
2011–12FranceFabien Causeur (Cholet) Czech RepublicBlake Schilb (Chalon)
2012–13FranceEdwin Jackson (ASVEL) United StatesDwight Buycks (BCM)
2013–14FranceAntoine Diot (SIG) United StatesRandal Falker (Nancy)

LNB Pro A Unified MVP award (2015–present)

Since from the 2015–16 season, no differentiation was made between French and foreign players, and one award was given for the best player of the league.

^ Denotes player who is still active in the Pro A
* Inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame
Denotes player whose team won championship that year
Player (X) Denotes the number of times the player has been named MVP
Team (X) Denotes the number of times a player from this team has won
Season Player Position Nationality Club Ref(s)
2014–15Adrien MoermanPF France Limoges CSP (18) [3]
2015–16Devin BookerC/PF United States Élan Chalon (2) [4]
2016–17D. J. CooperPG United States Élan Béarnais Pau-Orthez[5]
2017–18Zachery PeacockC/PF United States JL Bourg[6]
2018–19David HolstonPG United States JDA Dijon[7]
2019–20Not awarded1
2020–21Bonzie ColsonSF/PF United States SIG Strasbourg[8]
2021–22Will CummingsPG United States Metropolitans 92[9]
2022–23Victor Wembanyama
F/C
 France Metropolitans 92 (2) [1]
2023–24T. J. Shorts
PG
 United States Paris Basketball[10]
2024–25T. J. Shorts (2)
PG
 United States Paris Basketball[11]

Notes:

^1 There was no awarding in the 2019–20, because the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic in Europe.

L'Équipe awards (1994–2005)

Between 1994 and 2005, the French newspaper, L'Équipe, also conducted a selection of the best French and foreign players of the league, through a vote of journalists. These awards are also considered official by the Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB).

Season France French Domestic Player's MVP Foreign Player's MVP
1993–94 FranceAntoine Rigaudeau (Cholet) United StatesMichael Young (Limoges)
1994–95 FranceYann Bonato (Paris) United StatesDavid Rivers (Antibes)
1995–96 FranceAntoine Rigaudeau (Orthez) United StatesDelaney Rudd (ASVEL)
1996–97 FranceJim Bilba (ASVEL) United StatesDelaney Rudd (ASVEL)
1997–98 FranceAlain Digbeu (ASVEL) United StatesJerry McCullough (BCM)
1998–99 FranceLaurent Foirest (Orthez) United StatesKeith Jennings (MSB)
1999–00 FranceMoustapha Sonko (ASVEL) United StatesMarcus Brown (Limoges)
2000–01 FranceJim Bilba (ASVEL) United StatesBill Edwards (ASVEL)
2001–02 FranceCyril Julian (Nancy) United States-United KingdomTony Dorsey (Cholet)
2002–03 FranceLaurent Sciarra (Paris) Federal Republic of YugoslaviaDragan Lukovski (Orthez)
2003–04 FranceLaurent Foirest (Orthez) United StatesRick Hughes (SIG)
2004–05 FranceLaurent Sciarra (BCM) United StatesJermaine Guice (STB)

Players with the most French MVPs won by year

  • French Player's MVP and L'Équipe MVP awards combined. When the player won both awards in the same year, it is counted as a single MVP for the year.
Player Club(s) Number of MVPs Years Won
FranceAntoine RigaudeauCholet (4), Pau-Orthez (1) 5 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996
FranceStéphane OstrowskiLimoges4 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990
FranceCyril JulianNancy3 2002, 2006, 2007
FranceJim BilbaASVEL3 1997, 1998, 2001
FranceYann BonatoParis, Limoges2 1995, 1997
FranceLaurent FoirestPau-Orthez2 1999, 2004
FranceLaurent SciarraParis, Gravelines2 2003, 2005

Players with the most Foreign MVPs won by year

  • Foreign Player's MVP and L'Équipe MVP awards combined. When the player won both awards in the same year, it is counted as a single MVP for the year.
Player Club(s) Number of MVPs Years Won
United StatesDon CollinsLimoges3 1988, 1989, 1990
United StatesEd MurphyLimoges3 1983, 1984, 1985
United StatesMichael BrooksLimoges2 1991, 1992
United StatesDelaney RuddASVEL2 1996, 1997
United StatesMichael YoungLimoges2 1993, 1994

See also

References

  1. ^ ab"Victor Wembanyama becomes the youngest LNB MVP ever". Eurohoops. 2023-05-17. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
  2. ^LNB-Media.net LNB News.
  3. ^Adrien Moerman premier MVP unifié de Pro A
  4. ^"Pro A : Devin Booker MVP, Vincent Collet meilleur coach". L'Equipe. 29 April 2016.
  5. ^"D.J. Cooper is the Pro A MVP". Eurohoops.net. 2017-05-18. Retrieved 2017-05-18.
  6. ^"Accueil".
  7. ^"Trophées du Basket : Les lauréats sont connus ! - LNB.fr". www.lnb.fr. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  8. ^"Bonzie the real MVP". sigstrasbourg.fr. 20 June 2021. Archived from the original on 21 October 2022. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  9. ^"Trophées LNB : les lauréats en Betclic ELITE ! - Betclic ELITE". Betclic ELITE (in French). 2022-05-18. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  10. ^"Trophées LNB 2024 : les lauréats en Betclic ELITE". Betclic ELITE (in French). 2024-05-13. Retrieved 2024-05-15.
  11. ^"Trophées LNB 2025 : les lauréats en Betclic ELITE". Betclic ELITE (in French). 2025-05-17. Retrieved 2025-05-23.