Maybe Next Year, LeBron—Kobe Bryant's the MVP

Look, only the very best players can put up 28/6/5, but I agree his stats don't look as good as his 35/5/4 in '05-'06. I'll give you that.

But would you believe me if I told you that Kobe is playing the best ball of his career?

I'm not lying.

The man is better than he was in '02 when he averaged 30/7/6.

He's better than he was in '05-'06 when he dropped 81.

He's better than he was last year when he had four straight 50-point games.

Hear me out.

First, his defense has been incredible.

Let's be honest, Kobe didn't deserve his defensive team selection last year, but this year? I won't bore you with the stats, but the Lakers are Spurs-good on defense when Kobe is on the floor.

When he's off the floor?

They are bad. Really bad. Like New York Knick bad.

Second, Kobe's playing less minutes.

He's been so good, that he's gotten his team into the habit of destroying opposing teams early. 

Just to put things into perspective, adjusted for minutes, Kobe and Lebron's statistical production looks relatively similar with Lebron and Kobe both averaging over 35 ppg, and Kobe getting about 1.5 less rebounds and two less assists per 48 minutes.

For MVP purposes, I have to take Kobe's stats and his 22 games above .500 over Lebron's stats and eight games above .500.

Like I said, it's all about the wins. 

Finally, not only is Kobe the most skilled player in the game, he is also the most durable.

Listen, I don't fault Lebron or Garnett for sitting out games with injuries. Health is the most important asset in an athlete's world.

Still, a player who plays is always more valuable than a player who sits.

Yeah, I know Lebron sat and his team lost every game he sat.

But does anyone truly believe that the Lakers would win many ballgames in the competitive Western Conference if Kobe sat out? Truth be told, if Lebron and the Cavs lost every single game from here to the end of the season, they would be 32-50.

That's good for a .390 win record and good for 11th in the East if things stay as they are (Bulls .393).

If the Lakers lost just the same amount of games that the Cavs have lost without Lebron (seven), they'd go from the best record in the West to out of the playoffs completely. That's how tight the West is.

So you can see why Kobe has played with a bum shoulder, strained groin, the flu, and a finger that literally is falling off his hand.

In short, he's a warrior. The guy wants to win every single game no matter the emotional or physical toll it takes on his body.

He is passionate about his profession, and though he's made plenty of mistakes, no one can deny that he shows up to work every single day with one mission on his mind: to win a championship.

Well, Kobe is already a champion. It is now time to recognize his value.  

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