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Maurice Podoloff Trophy

The Maurice Podoloff Trophy is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 2022–23 season to the team with the best overall record at the end of the regular season. The award is named after Maurice Podoloff, who served as the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA from 1946 until 1963.

Prior to 2021, the Podoloff Trophy was given to the most valuable player of the NBA regular season. However, this was changed in 2022 when the NBA renamed the MVP trophy after Michael Jordan, and a new Podoloff Trophy was unveiled to reward a team's regular season performance. Ever since 2022, the team who wins the Maurice Podoloff Trophy clinches home-court advantage throughout the entire NBA playoffs.

The Milwaukee Bucks became the first winners of the trophy on April 5, 2023, with their victory over the Chicago Bulls. The Oklahoma City Thunder are the most recent winners on the trophy, which they clinched on April 10, 2025.

Maurice Podoloff Trophy winners

Earlier best records

For reference, the following are teams that finished with the best records in the NBA for each season between and .

BAA (1946–1949)

NBA (1950–2022)

  • There was no tiebreaker. Two teams with the best record received a first-round bye in the playoffs.
  • Despite having the same record as the Washington Bullets, the Boston Celtics clinched top seed by virtue of having a better conference record (34–12 vs. Washington's 32–14). The teams split their regular season series 2–2.
  • Despite having the same record as the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics clinched top seed by virtue of having a better division record (19–5 vs. Philadelphia's 15–9). The teams split their regular season series 3–3.
  • Despite having the same record as the Chicago Bulls, the Utah Jazz clinched top seed by virtue of winning their regular season series 2–0.
  • Despite having the same record as the Utah Jazz, the San Antonio Spurs clinched top seed by virtue of winning their regular season series 2–1.
  • Despite having the same record as the Dallas Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs clinched top seed by virtue of having a better conference record (36–16 vs. Dallas's 34–18). The teams split their regular season series 2–2.
  • Despite having the same record as the San Antonio Spurs, the Chicago Bulls clinched top seed by virtue of their only regular season meeting between them, a 96–89 victory by the Bulls on February 29, 2012.

Records

Maurice Podoloff Trophy winners

Combined pre-trophy / trophy era best records

See also

Notes

References