After leading the Kansas City Chiefs to a 25-22 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, Patrick Mahomes won his third Super Bowl MVP award.
Mahomes is the eighth player across the major U.S. professional sports to win three championship-round MVP awards. The three-time-winner club is elite company. Mahomes accomplished the feat faster than anyone, in his seventh NFL season.
Let's take a look at which athletes have won the most championship-round MVP awards.
Michael Jordan, 6 NBA Finals MVP awards
Not only was Michael Jordan a six-time NBA champion, he won the NBA Finals MVP trophy every time he advanced to the Finals. He led the Bulls to a pair of three-peats, taking home the Finals MVP trophy in 1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 1998.
Tom Brady, 5 Super Bowl MVP awards
Tom Brady has an NFL-record seven Super Bowl rings, and he earned MVP honors in five of those title games: Super Bowl XXXVI, Super Bowl XXXVIII, Super Bowl XLIX, Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl LV. Brady would be first on this list if not for Julian Edelman winning MVP in Super Bowl LIII and Deion Branch taking home the award in Super Bowl XXXIX.
LeBron James, 4 NBA Finals MVP awards
LeBron James is a four-time NBA champion, and he managed to win NBA Finals MVP each time he hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy (in 2012, 2013, 2016 and 2020). James' most recent Finals MVP trophy came in 2020 when he led the Los Angeles Lakers to their 17th championship while in the NBA bubble due to COVID-19.
Patrick Mahomes, 3 Super Bowl MVP awards
As previously mentioned, Patrick Mahomes earned his three championship MVPs quicker than anyone else in history, as he's in only his seventh NFL season. Mahomes earned his first Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl LIV. He joins Terry Bradshaw and Bart Starr as the only back-to-back Super Bowl MVPs in NFL history.
Joe Montana, 3 Super Bowl MVP awards
Joe Montana led the San Francisco 49ers to four Super Bowl wins, and he took home Super Bowl MVP honors in three of those games: Super Bowl XVI, Super Bowl XIX and Super Bowl XXIV. (Jerry Rice kept Montana from going 4-for-4 on Super Bowl MVPs, as he took home the trophy in Super Bowl XXIII.)
Tim Duncan, 3 NBA Finals MVP awards
Tim Duncan was previously tied for the fastest three-time championship MVP, as he won his third Finals MVP in his eighth NBA season. Duncan led the San Antonio Spurs to five NBA championships, and he earned the NBA Finals MVP award in 1999, 2003 and 2005. (The other Spurs who won Finals MVP were Kawhi Leonard in 2014 and Tony Parker in 2007.)
Magic Johnson, 3 NBA Finals MVP awards
Magic Johnson was previously tied with Duncan for the fastest three-time championship MVP, as he won his third Finals MVP in his eighth NBA season. Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to five NBA championships, and he won the NBA Finals MVP award in 1980, 1982 and 1987. (The other Lakers who won Finals MVP were James Worthy in 1988 and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1985.)
Shaquille O'Neal, 3 NBA Finals MVP awards
Shaquille O'Neal was a four-time NBA champion, and he took home the NBA Finals MVP award in each year of the Los Angeles Lakers' three-peat (2000, 2001 and 2002). Shaq was virtually unguardable in his prime. (In 2006, O'Neal would help the Miami Heat win the championship, but Dwyane Wade earned the NBA Finals MVP award after a stellar performance against the Dallas Mavericks.)