least games played while being mvp since 1980

Since 1979-80, Karl Malone has the fewest games by an MVP in a season, with 49 games in 1998-99.

Interpreted as:

least games played while being mvp in a regular season by a player since 1980

	NAME	GP	MVP	SEASON	TM	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FGM	FGA	FG%	3PM	3PA	3P%	FTM	FTA	FT%	TS%	OREB	DREB	TPG	MIN	PTS	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	+/-
1	Karl Malone K. Malone	49	1	1998-99	UTA	37.4	23.8	9.4	4.1	1.3	0.6	8.0	16.3	49.3	0.0	0.0	0.0	7.7	9.8	78.8	57.7	2.2	7.3	3.3	1,832	1,164	463	201	62	28	162	134	+355
2	LeBron James L. James	62	1	2011-12	MIA	37.5	27.1	7.9	6.2	1.9	0.8	10.0	18.9	53.1	0.9	2.4	36.2	6.2	8.1	77.1	60.5	1.5	6.4	3.4	2,326	1,683	492	387	115	50	213	96	+473
3	Giannis Antetokounmpo G. Antetokounmpo	63	1	2019-20	MIL	30.4	29.5	13.6	5.6	1.0	1.0	10.9	19.7	55.3	1.4	4.7	30.4	6.3	10.0	63.3	61.3	2.2	11.4	3.7	1,917	1,857	856	354	61	66	230	195	+682
4	Joel Embiid J. Embiid	66	1	2022-23	PHI	34.6	33.1	10.2	4.2	1.0	1.7	11.0	20.1	54.8	1.0	3.0	33.0	10.0	11.7	85.7	65.5	1.7	8.4	3.4	2,284	2,183	670	274	66	112	226	205	+424
5	Allen Iverson A. Iverson	71	1	2000-01	PHI	42.0	31.1	3.8	4.6	2.5	0.3	10.7	25.5	42.0	1.4	4.3	32.0	8.2	10.1	81.4	51.8	0.7	3.1	3.3	2,979	2,207	273	325	178	20	237	147	+368
6	Nikola Jokić N. Jokić	72	1	2020-21	DEN	34.5	26.4	10.8	8.3	1.3	0.7	10.2	18.0	56.6	1.3	3.3	38.8	4.8	5.5	86.8	64.7	2.8	8.0	3.1	2,487	1,898	780	599	95	48	222	192	+384
7	Giannis Antetokounmpo G. Antetokounmpo	72	1	2018-19	MIL	32.8	27.7	12.5	5.9	1.3	1.5	10.0	17.3	57.8	0.7	2.8	25.6	6.9	9.5	72.9	64.4	2.2	10.3	3.7	2,358	1,994	898	424	92	110	268	232	+654
8	James Harden J. Harden	72	1	2017-18	HOU	35.4	30.4	5.4	8.8	1.8	0.7	9.0	20.1	44.9	3.7	10.0	36.7	8.7	10.1	85.8	61.9	0.6	4.8	4.4	2,551	2,191	389	630	126	50	315	169	+527
9	Nikola Jokić N. Jokić	74	1	2021-22	DEN	33.5	27.1	13.8	7.9	1.5	0.9	10.3	17.7	58.3	1.3	3.9	33.7	5.1	6.3	81.0	66.1	2.8	11.0	3.8	2,475	2,004	1,019	584	109	63	281	191	+442
10	Steve Nash S. Nash	75	1	2004-05	PHX	34.3	15.5	3.3	11.5	1.0	0.1	5.7	11.4	50.2	1.3	2.9	43.1	2.8	3.2	88.7	60.6	0.8	2.6	3.3	2,573	1,165	249	861	74	6	245	136	+664
11	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander S. Gilgeous-Alexander	76	1	2024-25	OKC	34.2	32.7	5.0	6.4	1.7	1.0	11.3	21.8	51.9	2.1	5.7	37.5	7.9	8.8	89.8	63.7	0.9	4.1	2.4	2,598	2,484	379	486	131	77	183	164	+918
12	LeBron James L. James	76	1	2012-13	MIA	37.9	26.8	8.0	7.3	1.7	0.9	10.1	17.8	56.5	1.4	3.3	40.6	5.3	7.0	75.3	64.0	1.3	6.8	3.0	2,877	2,036	610	551	129	67	226	110	+720
13	LeBron James L. James	76	1	2009-10	CLE	39.0	29.7	7.3	8.6	1.6	1.0	10.1	20.1	50.3	1.7	5.1	33.3	7.8	10.2	76.7	60.4	0.9	6.4	3.4	2,966	2,258	554	651	125	77	261	119	+648
14	Charles Barkley C. Barkley	76	1	1992-93	PHX	37.6	25.6	12.2	5.1	1.6	1.0	9.4	18.1	52.0	0.9	2.9	30.5	5.9	7.7	76.5	59.6	3.1	9.1	3.1	2,859	1,944	928	385	119	74	233	197
15	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	77	1	1988-89	LAL	37.5	22.5	7.9	12.8	1.8	0.3	7.5	14.8	50.9	0.8	2.4	31.4	6.7	7.3	91.1	62.5	1.4	6.4	4.1	2,886	1,730	607	988	138	22	312	172
16	Dirk Nowitzki D. Nowitzki	78	1	2006-07	DAL	36.2	24.6	8.9	3.4	0.7	0.8	8.6	17.2	50.2	0.9	2.2	41.6	6.4	7.1	90.4	60.5	1.6	7.3	2.1	2,820	1,916	693	263	52	62	167	171	+623
17	Moses Malone M. Malone	78	1	1982-83	PHI	37.5	24.5	15.3	1.3		2.0	8.4	16.7	50.1	0.0	0.0		7.7	10.1	76.1	57.8				2,923	1,908	1,194	101		157		206
18	Nikola Jokić N. Jokić	79	1	2023-24	DEN	34.6	26.4	12.4	9.0	1.4	0.9	10.4	17.9	58.3	1.1	2.9	35.9	4.5	5.5	81.7	65.0	2.8	9.5	3.0	2,737	2,085	976	708	108	68	238	195	+684
19	Stephen Curry S. Curry	79	1	2015-16	GSW	34.2	30.1	5.4	6.7	2.1	0.2	10.2	20.2	50.4	5.1	11.2	45.4	4.6	5.1	90.8	66.9	0.9	4.6	3.3	2,700	2,375	430	527	169	15	262	161	+1022
20	Steve Nash S. Nash	79	1	2005-06	PHX	35.4	18.8	4.2	10.5	0.8	0.2	6.8	13.4	51.2	1.9	4.3	43.9	3.3	3.5	92.1	63.2	0.6	3.6	3.5	2,796	1,489	333	826	61	12	276	120	+472
21	Shaquille O'Neal S. O'Neal	79	1	1999-00	LAL	40.0	29.7	13.6	3.8	0.5	3.0	12.1	21.1	57.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	5.5	10.4	52.4	57.8	4.3	9.4	2.8	3,163	2,344	1,078	299	36	239	223	255	+706
22	Magic Johnson M. Johnson	79	1	1989-90	LAL	37.2	22.3	6.6	11.5	1.7	0.4	6.9	14.4	48.0	1.3	3.5	38.4	7.2	8.1	89.0	62.2	1.6	5.0	3.7	2,937	1,765	522	907	132	34	289	167
23	Larry Bird L. Bird	79	1	1983-84	BOS	38.3	24.2	10.1	6.6	1.8	0.9	9.6	19.5	49.2	0.2	0.9	25.0	4.7	5.3	88.8	55.2	2.3	7.8	3.0	3,028	1,908	796	520	144	70	236	197
24	Stephen Curry S. Curry	80	1	2014-15	GSW	32.7	23.8	4.3	7.7	2.0	0.2	8.2	16.8	48.7	3.6	8.1	44.3	3.9	4.2	91.4	63.8	0.7	3.6	3.1	2,613	1,900	341	619	163	16	249	158	+920
25	Hakeem Olajuwon H. Olajuwon	80	1	1993-94	HOU	41.0	27.3	11.9	3.6	1.6	3.7	11.2	21.2	52.8	0.1	0.2	42.1	4.9	6.8	71.6	56.5	2.9	9.1	3.4	3,277	2,184	955	287	128	297	271	289