Taking a closer look at Michael Jordan's MVP winning seasons statistically

Michael Jordan is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of all-time. The NBA Hall of Famer dominated throughout his time in the league, winning five NBA MVPs, which is tied for the second-most of all-time.

Jordan's first MVP award came in 1987-1988, his fourth season in the league. The Chicago Bulls legend led the league in scoring for the second-consecutive season, averaging 35.0 points per game while shooting 53.5% from the field. He also averaged 5.5 rebounds per game, 5.9 assists per game, a league-leading 3.2 steals per game, and 1.6 blocks per game. Jordan became the first player to win the MVP award and Defensive Player of the Year in the first season.

Despite leading the league in scoring the next two seasons, Jordan did not win the MVP award again until the 1990-1991 season. He averaged 31.5 points per game, 6.0 rebounds per game, 5.5 assists per game, 2.7 steals per game, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 53.9% from the field. In his seventh-season in the league, Jordan would also win the first of six NBA championships.

The ten-time scoring champ would repeat himself as MVP the following season as he once again led the NBA in scoring averaging 30.1 points per game while shooting 51.9% from the field. He added 6.4 rebounds per game, 6.1 assists per game, 2.3 steals per game, and 0.9 blocks per game. The Chicago Bulls also repeated themselves as NBA champions.

Despite continuing to lead the league in scoring in every full season that he played, Michael Jordan did not win another MVP until the 1995-1996 season, which many attributed to voter fatigue. During that season, however, it was impossible to deny giving MJ his fourth MVP award. He once again led the league in scoring, averaging 30.4 points per game while shooting 49.5% from the field and leading the Bulls to a 72-10 record. Jordan also averaged 6.6 rebounds per game, 4.3 assists per game, 2.2 steals per game, and 0.5 blocks per game en route to his fourth title.

Jordan's final MVP award came in the 1997-1998 season, as he led the league in scoring for the tenth and final time, averaging 28.7 points per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Jordan, who retired for the second time after the season, added 5.8 rebounds per game, 3.5 assists per game, 1.7 steals per game, and 0.5 blocks per game.

Check out Michael Jordan's highlights below:

Michael Jordan's postseason dominance

While Michael Jordan led the NBA in scoring an unprecedented 10 times, perhaps even more impressively, he also led the postseason in scoring on 10 separate occasions. Jordan, who averaged an NBA-record 30.1 points per game, improved that number to 33.4 points per game in the postseason, also an NBA-record.

Aside from Jordan, no player in NBA history has averaged 40.0 points per game in a postseason series more than once. However, the Chicago Bulls legend accomplished the feat five times. Jordan was able to score at least 50 points in an NBA-record eight separate postseason games, including scoring 63 points in a game, also an NBA-record.

Check out Michael Jordan's postseason highlights below: