alternatehistory.com

- 2007-08: Tim Duncan (PF) San Antonio Spurs [1a]
- OTL: Kobe Bryant (SG) Los Angeles Lakers [1b]
- 2008-09: LeBron James (SF) Los Angeles Clippers [2]
- OTL: LeBron James (SF) Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2009-10: Dwight Howard (C) Orlando Magic [3]
- OTL: LeBron James (SF) Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2010-11: Derrick Rose (PG) New Orleans Pelicans* [4]
- OTL: Derrick Rose (PG) Chicago Bulls
- 2011-12: LeBron James (SF) Los Angeles Clippers
- OTL: LeBron James (SF) Miami Heat
- 2012-13: LeBron James (SF) Los Angeles Clippers
- OTL: LeBron James (SF) Miami Heat
- 2013-14: LeBron James (SF) Los Angeles Clippers [5]
- OTL: Kevin Durant (SF) Oklahoma City Thunder
- 2014-15: Carmelo Anthony (SF) New York Knicks [6]
- OTL: Stephen Curry (PG) Golden State Warriors
- 2015-16: LeBron James (SF) Los Angeles Clippers
- OTL: Stephen Curry (PG) Golden State Warriors
- 2016-17: LeBron James (SF) Los Angeles Clippers [7]
- OTL: Russell Westbrook (PG) Oklahoma City Thunder
- 2017-18: Russell Westbrook (PG) New York Knicks [8]
- OTL: James Harden (SG) Houston Rockets
- 2018-19: Russell Westbrook (PG) New York Knicks [9]
- OTL: Giannis Antetokounmpo (SF) Milwaukee Bucks
- 2019-20: Stephen Curry (PG) Atlanta Hawks [10]
- OTL: TBD

* at the time of Rose's MVP, the New Orleans Pelicans were known as the New Orleans Hornets.

[1a] Tim Duncan secures his third MVP (2002, 2003 & 2008) after leading the defending champion Spurs to the top seed in the Western Conference. He would go on to be named Finals MVP later in the post season after the Spurs repeat and nab their fifth championship. This would be the second time in his career that Duncan would win both MVP and Finals MVP in the same season.

[1b] Unfortunately for Kobe Bryant, the OTL 2008 MVP, he fails to win the award throughout the remainder of his career in this TL.

[2] Like OTL, LeBron James secures his first MVP following the 2008-09 season. Unlike OTL, he does so as a Los Angeles Clippers, the result of a giant trade between the two teams involving draft picks, other teams, and a public fallout between James and the Cavaliers. Cleveland's loss of LeBron is considered one of the biggest failures in sports history. The maneuverings that brought LeBron to the Clippers also brought Chris Paul to the team. Both players were incredibly criticized for their public roles in getting traded from their respective franchises, and new Clippers owner Steve Ballmer (just go with it) was also criticized for his own role. Nonetheless, LeBron led the Clippers to the best record in the NBA and won his first MVP.

[3] Dwight Howard wins his first and only career MVP award in a season where he dominated the league. Howard also won the DPOY award during this season and then became Finals MVP after leading the Magic in a grueling, seven-game series against the Portland Trailblazers. He joins Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in NBA history win MVP, DPOY and Finals MVP in the same season.

[4] After losing Chris Paul during the fiasco ridden 2007-08 season, the New Orleans Hornets (now known as the Pelicans) were able to get the first overall pick in the 2008 draft and with it they chose a new point guard to lead their team. Just three seasons into his career, Derrick Rose has made it clear New Orleans made the right decision when they chose him to be their new face. After becoming an All-Star in his sophomore campaign, Rose followed it up by taking the MVP award in 2010-11, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to win the award.

[5] LeBron James, who many felt was the true MVP of the 2010-11 season, went on a three-year run as league MVP, winning the award in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He joins Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Larry Bird as the only players to win the award three times in a row. He joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6 MVPs), Bill Russell (5 MVPs), Michael Jordan (5 MVPs) and Wilt Chamberlain (4 MVPs) as the only players with at least four MVP seasons. In each of these three seasons (2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14) LeBron also won Finals MVP. This run cemented LeBron's place in NBA lore as one of, if not the greatest player of all time.

[6] Carmelo Anthony secured his first and only MVP of his career for the 2014-15 NBA season, controversially breaking LeBron James streak. Anthony had a stellar season as he led a revitalized New York team to the first seed in the Eastern Conference behind 27.2 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.2 SPG and 1.0 BPG. Yet, some felt LeBron should have won the award and only lost it because of fatigue from voters. LeBron had just come off his third consecutive championship and led the Clippers once again to the best record in the NBA in 2014-15, and the case could be made even as he had his second lowest scoring season of his career that year (21.3 PPG). Nonetheless, LeBron James publicly shared his support for his close friend, Anthony, and when asked after the announcement was made stated "Carmelo deserves it - he was the best player on the best team in the East. He's an all-time great. He deserves it."

[7] After his scoring dropped to 21.3 PPG for the 2014-15 season, LeBron James would go on to average 28.2 PPG over the next two seasons as he led the Clippers to the fifth championship in a row (2012-16) and seventh Finals appearance in a row. Voters didn't reject "the King" like they had in 2014-15, especially as LeBron's game somehow got better and the result was two more MVP selections for the kid from Akron, Ohio. With his sixth MVP in 2016-17, LeBron James tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for most MVPs in NBA history, surpassing Michael Jordan. By this point in his career, with 6 MVPs, 6 Finals MVPs, and 6 Championships, LeBron James is considered the best player of all time by many.

[8] Russell Westbrook wins his first MVP in a season where multiple players shot the lights out - so much so that Westbrook's 24.7 PPG showing seems pedestrian. But the athletic phenom, fresh off winning a championship, produced one of his best NBA seasons to date. Of particular note were Westbrook's statistical achievements, he notched an impressive 20 triple doubles during the season, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to record at least 20 TDs in a season. With Carmelo in the latter stages of his career, Westbrook has taken a stronger role on the team. On top of his statistical feats, the Knicks also finished first in the Eastern Conference. LeBron James (SF-LAC) and Kevin Durant (SF-BAL) finished second and third respectively in the MVP balloting.

[9] In this season, Russell Westbrook on led the Knicks to the best record in the East, but did it with even better statistical numbers than the year before. In 2018-19, Westbrook became the second player in NBA history to average a triple double for the season. This remarkable accomplishment propelled the guard to his second straight MVP award, although Orlando forward Anthony Costner made a good case after leading the Magic to 3rd in the East behind 36.4 PPG. Westbrook had a total of 33 triple doubles for the season.

[10] In control of his own destiny for the first time in a few years, Stephen Curry left Austin in free agency and went to ... Atlanta. The Hawks had been trying to break through for years behind franchise player Blake Griffin, but hadn't been able to make the jump. However, the organization and Curry saw what was possible. The team-up led the Hawks to the top seed in the Eastern Conference as Curry and Griffin became one of the premier duos in the NBA. That giant leap gave Curry, who has finished in the top 5 in MVP votes before, what he needed to take the prize. Curry averaged 26.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, a career-best 9.6 APG, while shooting +52% from the field, including +47% from three.