Today we continue in part 6 of a 10-part series at Once Upon a Dribble!

During the 2022 playoffs the NBA began awarding MVP awards to the best performing player of each conference finals: the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award and the Magic Johnson Western Conference Finals Most Valuable Player Award, named for the two players credited for building the league up to greater popularity in the 1980s.

This begs the question, with the award just being handed out for the first time last season, who are the deserving winners from the previous 50+ years of NBA history?

Find out today as Josh tackles the Western Conference in the 1990s!

1990: Phoenix Suns vs Portland Trail Blazers - Terry Porter (03:10)

1991: Los Angeles Lakers vs Portland Trail Blazers - Magic Johnson (07:14)

1992: Portland Trail Blazers vs Utah Jazz - Terry Porter (10:35)

1993: Phoenix Suns vs Seattle SuperSonics - Charles Barkley (15:13)

1994: Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz - Hakeem Olajuwon (21:34)

1995: Houston Rockets vs San Antonio Spurs - Hakeem Olajuwon (26:15)

1996: Seattle SuperSonics vs Utah Jazz - Shawn Kemp (31:48)

1997: Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz - John Stockton (35:52)

1998: Los Angeles Lakers vs Utah Jazz - Karl Malone (41:36)

1999: Portland Trail Blazers vs San Antonio Spurs - David Robinson (44:36)

Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame multiple times in a storied career as a player and executive and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, passed away earlier this month.

Few people have ever seen the game as clearly — from so many angles and across so many different eras — as West did. His the influence he had on his profession is profound and will be felt for generations to come.

Join Calvan and Josh in a brief tribute to Jerry, talking about his early life, resiliently elite NBA career, impeccable executive career and the lasting impact he had on his peers.

Long live the Logo. S/O: Foobas Sports on YouTube for the audio in the intro.

Phil Jackson is the most successful coach in NBA history, the owner of 11 rings, and the architect of some of the most iconic basketball moments of all time.

From his roots in small town North Dakota, to Chicago, Los Angeles, and even the Big Apple, his career in basketball has taken him all over the country.

His style of coaching and his unorthodox approach to life earned him one of the most recognizable nicknames in sports: the Zen Master.

You can’t tell the story of the NBA without mentioning the coaching of the great Phil Jackson... but just how was Jackson able to sustain so much success for so long?

Come along with us in today’s episode, as Josh and Calvan take a look at the life and times of one of the most accomplished coaches in all of sports. This is Once Upon a Dribble.