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Last season, the MVP was a hotly contested two-man race between Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul. People took sides, and seemed to be willing to battle to the death in support of their candidate. This season, however, there's no such drama. One man has flexed his muscle more than the rest all season long, and he's expected to take home the hardware in a landslide.
Here's how the voting shook out:
1. LeBron James
2. Dwyane Wade
3. Kobe Bryant
LeBron and D. Wade were the only two to be named on all six ballots, and James received all but one of the first-place votes. Hey, sorry to go all Jon Barry on you, but as the person who wrote this, I just couldn't in good conscience give my vote to anyone else.
Not that it matters. Much like my lone dissenting vote here, James is expected to win the award in a landslide. And really, it's almost impossible to have a problem with that.
James has been equal parts amazing and unstoppable this season. And while the offseason acquisition of Mo Williams finally gave him some much-needed help in the scoring department, no one predicted that this team would win 66 games and finish with the league's best record.
Kobe Bryant narrowly edged Chris Paul for third (by a single vote, actually), and Dwight Howard received fourth place votes on four of our ballots.
Yao Ming and Brandon Roy each received a single mention, and Tom Ziller explains giving Roy the nod over Bryant on his ballot:
"This is a protest vote, because Roy is as good or better than Kobe Bryant in every statistical category but scoring. But Roy uses up fewer precious shots, and shoots more efficiently. He's also arguably a better man defender. Yet Kobe will finish second or third in actual MVP voting, and Roy will be left off half the ballots. Open your eyes, Planet Earth!"
Good thing the MVP is a regular season award. Because after seeing LeBron's Game 1 playoff line of 38 points, eight rebounds, seven assists ... and zero turnovers, it kind of makes discussing anyone else -- even for second or third place -- seem a little bit ridiculous.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-20-2009 @ 2:59PM
pgile said...
LeBron at this stage in his career reminds me a lot of where Tiger Woods was about five years back. At that time, it seemed likely Tiger was destined to replace Jack Nicholas as the best golfer of all time. But until he could put up career numbers, it was still Jack's title. Not anymore.
Basketball is a team game and the greatest players, while individually gifted, have to accomplish team goals to lay claim to being the greatest. Assuming LBJ gets a title or three or more, and continues to play at or above his current level for another 5-10 years, he'll retire at least on a par with Jordan.
Maybe when he retires, the NBA should do what the NHL did with No. 99 and retire No. 23 from all teams, in honor of what may well be the two greatest basketball players of all time.
For now, the 2009 regular season MVP is an unquestionably deserved awaard.
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4-20-2009 @ 4:01PM
obamaizadope said...
I'm a Kobe guy, but LeBron is the most incredible basketball player I have ever seen, including Michael. This guy is a one man wrecking crew. In addition to the MVP, they ought to give him the best disposition award..
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4-20-2009 @ 4:23PM
bwkappa said...
Lebron is TRULY the chosen one. This is Cleveland's year to finally win a title.
Go Cavs!
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4-20-2009 @ 4:47PM
Mr.G said...
It remains to be seen if the Cavs win it all this year,(I hope they do)but this team is deserving of every award that can be handed out. - James MVP AND Defensive player of the year awards- Mike Brown Coach of the year and even Danny Ferry Executive of the year.(Ferry traded Damon Jones straight up for Mo Williams)Top that one if you can.
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4-20-2009 @ 5:34PM
kingmole said...
it must have hurt brett to admit lebron is the mvp.
kobe lovers hate on him cause they know kobes reign on top is almost over.
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4-20-2009 @ 8:52PM
Mauro said...
lebron needs to mature some more
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4-21-2009 @ 2:29AM
nabpdcop said...
I'll give him MVP, but the BIG PRIZE goes to KOBE. He already has an MVP......smile. You never see KOBE taking fake pictures before a game, and doing stupid s**t like that. JUST PLAY. Let your play do the talking.
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4-21-2009 @ 8:50AM
marylulu325 said...
Lebron is no doubt a great player, but the greatest now is still Kobe. What I dont like is
the campaigning that Lebron has done. And as far
as Dwayne is concerned, he can do all the campaigning he wants to do, he is no where near
these two players. Start getting real Dwayne and
have your team start WINNING.........
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4-21-2009 @ 3:30PM
Mike said...
LeBron is amazing and the scary thing is he hasn't changed physically since High School! I would have hated to guard him. Kobe is great too (I'm a Laker Hater) but at this time he has more rings than LeBron but LeBron has done more with less of a team than Kobe. My vote goes to LeBron
P.S. Jordan is the greatest ever he did things on the court no other person had done before.
Michael
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4-21-2009 @ 6:21PM
Martin said...
The MVP award should be discarded. Just ask 10 people what factors go into determining the winner of the award, and you will get ten different answers. Basketball is a team game, and the star player who can blend his talents with those of his teammates, even if it reduces his individual statistics, is the one who will likely end up with the championship ring on his finger. So, although the MVP award gets a lot of media attention, the MVP players are all of the members of the team which come away with the championship. Everyone else is second best.
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