NBA Most Improved Player

Atlanta Hawks The NBA's Most Improved Player (MIP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the player who has shown the most progress during the regular season compared to previous seasons. The winner is selected by a panel of sportswriters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first, second and third place selections. Each first-place vote is worth five points; each second-place vote is worth three points, and each third-place vote is worth one point. The player with the highest point total, regardless of the number of first-place votes, wins the award. The criteria for selecting the most improved player was initially open-ended, but the NBA clarified in later years that it was intended for an up-and-coming player who improved dramatically and not a player who made a comeback, distinguishing it from the defunct NBA Comeback Player of the Year Award. Since the 2022–23 NBA season, winners receive the George Mikan Trophy, named after the five-time NBA champion.

As part of efforts to reduce load management for star players in the league, effective with the 2023–24 season, when a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the league and its players' union took effect, players must appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for most major regular-season awards, including Most Improved Player. To receive credit for a game for purposes of award eligibility, a player must have been credited with at least 20 minutes played. However, two "near misses", in which the player appeared for 15 to 19 minutes, can be included in the 65-game count. Protections also exist for players who suffer season-ending injuries, who are eligible with 62 credited games, and those affected by what the CBA calls "bad faith circumstances".

Since its inception, the award has been given to 37 players. No player has ever won the award twice. Boris Diaw, Kevin Love, Pascal Siakam, and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only award winners to win an NBA Championship, Siakam is the only winner to win a championship in the same season as the award, and Antetokounmpo is the only winner to win NBA Finals MVP. Rony Seikaly, Gheorghe Mureșan, Boris Diaw, Hedo Türkoğlu, Goran Dragić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pascal Siakam, Lauri Markkanen, and Dyson Daniels are the only award winners born outside the United States.

Alvin Robertson, Dana Barros, Tracy McGrady, Jermaine O'Neal, Danny Granger, Kevin Love, Paul George, Jimmy Butler, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Oladipo, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Ja Morant, Lauri Markkanen, and Tyrese Maxey have won the award and been selected as an NBA All-Star in the same season; Dale Ellis, Kevin Duckworth, Kevin Johnson, Gilbert Arenas, Zach Randolph, Goran Dragic, and Pascal Siakam were the other winners who were selected in a later season to play in the All-Star Game. Only McGrady, O'Neal, George, Dragić, Antetokounmpo, Oladipo, Randle and Morant won the award and were named to the All-NBA Team in the same season. Pascal Siakam made the All-NBA Second Team the year after he won the award. The Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic have each seen five players win the award, the most in the NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the first recipient of the award to later become an NBA MVP. Tracy McGrady is the only recipient to win a scoring title as well as being the first recipient of the award to be named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Winners

Season	Player	Position	Nationality	Team	*	^	^	§	^	^	^	†	^	^	^	^	^	^	^
	Guard		San Antonio Spurs
	Guard/forward	United States	Seattle SuperSonics
	Center	United States	Portland Trail Blazers
	Guard	United States	Phoenix Suns
	Center	United States	Miami Heat
	Guard	United States	Orlando Magic
	Center/forward	United States	Washington Bullets
	Guard	United States	Denver Nuggets
	Forward	United States	Washington Bullets (2)
	Guard	United States	Philadelphia 76ers
	Center		Washington Bullets (3)
	Center	United States	Miami Heat (2)
	Forward	United States	Atlanta Hawks
	Guard	United States	Orlando Magic (2)
	Guard/forward	United States	Indiana Pacers
	Guard/forward	United States	Orlando Magic (3)
	Forward/center	United States	Indiana Pacers (2)
	Guard	United States	Golden State Warriors
	Forward	United States	Portland Trail Blazers (2)
	Guard/forward	United States	Los Angeles Clippers
	Forward		Phoenix Suns (2)
	Guard	United States	Golden State Warriors (2)
	Forward		Orlando Magic (4)
	Forward	United States	Indiana Pacers (3)
	Guard	United States	Houston Rockets
	Forward/center	United States	Minnesota Timberwolves
	Forward	United States	Orlando Magic (5)
	Forward	United States	Indiana Pacers (4)
	Guard		Phoenix Suns (3)
	Guard/forward	United States	Chicago Bulls
	Guard	United States	Portland Trail Blazers (3)
	Forward		Milwaukee Bucks
	Guard	United States	Indiana Pacers (5)
	Forward		Toronto Raptors
	Forward	United States	New Orleans Pelicans
	Forward	United States	New York Knicks
	Guard	United States	Memphis Grizzlies
	Forward		Utah Jazz
	Guard	United States	Philadelphia 76ers (2)
	Guard		Atlanta Hawks (2)