For all its thrills, the NBA's MVP race is brutal and unforgiving. Candidates are expected to win big, produce huge numbers, possess a compelling story—and to do it all while maintaining near-perfect health.
During the three-point era, MVP winners have missed an average of just 2.3 games per season. Even as strategic resting and playing time management have increased in recent years, that standard has barely moved: The last 10 winners have missed an average of just 2.5 games during their MVP seasons. What’s more, the only player since 1978 to miss more than seven games in his MVP season was Allen Iverson in 2001, turning 75 games played into a hard-and-fast threshold.