NBA MVP Race: 5 Closest MVP Races Of All Time

#3 Karl Malone, Tim Duncan and Alonzo Mourning in 1998-99

Utah Jazz player Karl Malone speaks to the press after winning the MVP trophy for the season

It’s always fun when an MVP race is debatable among three great players rather than just two, and 1999 was an excellent opportunity for exactly that sort of power struggle following Michael Jordan’s retirement the season before. There was a vacuum in the conversation for who the best player in the league was, and this trio filled it up refreshingly well in a decade where His Airness' shadow loomed large over the league.

Malone averaged 23.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists. Mourning averaged 20.1 points, 11 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game, while Duncan tallied 21.7 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in that first season post-Jordan. It seemingly was impossible to select one guy over the other two, and the final votes reflected that indecision.

The first-place voting was pretty inconclusive, as Malone got 44, Mourning bagged 36 and Duncan earned 30. But the second- and third-place votes were just as tight: Duncan got 36 to Mourning's 32 of the 2nd place votes.

Malone ended up winning the honours with 827 total points. Alonzo Mourning finished just 54 points behind, and Duncan was only 33 points behind him.