The Continental Basketball Association (CBA) Player of the Year, formerly known as the Eastern Basketball Association (EBA) Most Valuable Player and the CBA Most Valuable Player, was an annual award given to the best player in the CBA. The winner was selected by a vote of the league's head coaches. Twenty-three of the winners have been guards, 30 have been forwards, and only four have been centers. There have been two players—Jack McCloskey and Vincent Askew—who were two time recipients of the award. The Scranton Miners/Apollos have had six players named the EBA Most Valuable Player. The league's name was changed from the Eastern Basketball Association to the Continental Basketball Association following the 1977–78 season. Since then the Quad City Thunder have had the most players to win the award with five. The Montana Golden Nuggets and the Yakima/Yakama Sun Kings are the only teams to have one of their players win the award for three seasons in a row.
Key ^Denotes player who is still active in professional basketball Denotes player whose team won championship that yearRefReferencePlayer (X)Denotes the number of times the player has been named MVPTeam (X)Denotes the number of times a player from this team has won
Table Season Player Position Nationality Team Ref 1949–50 Bill Zubic Forward Lancaster Rockets 1950–51 Jerry Rullo Guard Sunbury Mercuries 1951–52 Chink Crossin Guard Pottsville Packers 1952–53 Jack McCloskey Guard Sunbury Mercuries (2) 1953–54 Jack McCloskey (2) Guard Sunbury Mercuries (3) 1954–55 Sherman White Forward Hazleton Hawks 1955–56 Jack Molinas Forward Wilmington Jets 1956–57 Hal Lear Guard Easton Madisons 1957–58 Larry Hennessy Guard Wilkes-Barre Barons 1958–59 Bill Spivey Center Wilkes-Barre Barons (2) 1959–60 Stacey Arceneaux Forward Scranton Miners 1960–61 Boo Ellis Forward Wilkes-Barre Barons (3) 1961–62 Roman Turmon Forward Allentown Jets 1962–63 Paul Arizin Forward Camden Bullets 1963–64 Andy Johnson Forward Allentown Jets (2) 1964–65 Walt Simon Forward Allentown Jets (3) 1965–66 Julius McCoy Forward Scranton Miners (2) 1966–67 Willie Murrell Forward Scranton Miners (3) 1967–68 Ken Wilburn Forward Trenton Colonials 1968–69 Stan Pawlak Guard Wilkes-Barre Barons (4) 1969–70 Waite Bellamy Guard Wilmington Blue Bombers 1970–71 Willie Somerset Guard Scranton Apollos (4) 1971–72 Harthorne Wingo Forward Allentown Jets (4) 1972–73 Ed Johnson Center Hartford Capitols 1973–74 Ken Wilburn Forward Allentown Jets (5) 1974–75 Jerry Baskerville Forward Hazleton Bullets 1975–76 Charlie Criss Guard Scranton Apollos (5) 1976–77 Charlie Criss (2) Guard Scranton Apollos (6) 1977–78 Paul McCracken Guard Wilkes-Barre Barons (5) 1978–79 Andre McCarter Guard Rochester Zeniths 1979–80 Ron Davis Forward Anchorage Northern Knights 1980–81 Willie Smith Guard Montana Golden Nuggets 1981–82 Ronnie Valentine Forward Montana Golden Nuggets (2) 1982–83 Robert Smith Guard Montana Golden Nuggets (3) 1983–84 Geoff Crompton Center Puerto Rico Coquis 1984–85 Steve Hayes Center Tampa Bay Thrillers 1985–86 Michael Young Forward Detroit Spirits 1986–87 Joe Binion Forward Topeka Sizzlers 1987–88 Michael Brooks Forward Albany Patroons 1988–89 Anthony Bowie Guard Quad City Thunder 1989–90 Vincent Askew Guard Albany Patroons (2) 1990–91 Vincent Askew (2) Guard Albany Patroons (3) 1991–92 Barry Mitchell Forward Quad City Thunder (2) 1992–93 Derek Strong Forward Quad City Thunder (3) 1993–94 Ronnie Grandison Forward Rochester Renegade 1994–95 Eldridge Recasner Guard Yakima Sun Kings 1995–96 Shelton Jones Forward Florida Beach Dogs 1996–97 Dexter Boney Guard Florida Beach Dogs (2) 1997–98 Jimmy King Guard Quad City Thunder (4) 1998–99 Adrian Griffin Forward Connecticut Pride 1999–2000 Jeff McInnis Guard Quad City Thunder (5) 2000–01 2001–02 Miles Simon Guard Dakota Wizards 2002–03 Andy Panko Forward Dakota Wizards (2) 2003–04 Josh Davis Forward Idaho Stampede 2004–05 Sam Clancy Jr. Forward Idaho Stampede (2) 2005–06 Anthony Goldwire Guard Yakama Sun Kings (2) 2006–07 Galen Young Forward Yakama Sun Kings (3) 2007–08 Daryan Selvy Forward Yakama Sun Kings (4)
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