Nobody is questioning if Kobe was deserving of the recent MVP award. Kobe has been a fantastic player for years, and was almost always deserving of the MVP.
The only question becomes, did LeBron deserve to get fourth place in the voting?
No. LeBron once again had an amazing year.
The Cavs have struggled with injuries all season, and they couldn't get Anderson signed in a timely manner. Anyone remember when LeBron won a game with a D-League cast? On top of that, LeBron had to adjust to his new teammates after the trade deadline.
But, despite all that—LeBron carried his team to the playoffs.
Here's an interesting fact: There was only one person who gave him a first place vote!
I DON'T BUY THAT, NOT FOR A SECOND!
I'm not suggesting to take the MVP from Kobe, but I am saying there was a lot of voters who really overlooked LeBron's ability.
Last point—I am beginning to rethink the true meaning of MVP. Is it Most Valuable Player or Most Valuable Team?
Yes, team success is important, but I'm beginning to think there is too much emphasis on the team in an individual award. However, I'm not saying give the MVP to a guy whose team did not make the playoffs.
LeBron James was better in the stat book than any other candidate.
30 PPG, 7 REB, 7 AST, 1 BLK, 1 STLPER game. Nobody will argue that they are not MVP numbers, at least I hope.
Fourth place? Really, what's up with that?
17 comments Last one added 5 months ago — Leave a Comment
John Cho about 1 year ago
Whats up with that, you ask? Wasn't he #3 -- not #4? I mean its not like Lebron has no equal in the league -- and with respect to many others -- he just got here. With respect to some who also just got here -- they've enjoyed success as well.
He was edged by Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul -- nothing to be all upset about. Probably should've been edged out by Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett. Personally -- I don't think Lebron should've been up for serious consideration when you have so many equally good players out there who I think are alot more consistent than he. I must sound pretty unreasonable to you... ;)
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daShow2k8 7 months ago
I agree with this post.. I think that your comment about "it's not like Lebron has equal" is interesting... at least I'd love to hear your points on who can match his overall game, and what he has done with a losing team, he has changed the entire culture in Cleveland, and done so with arguable the worst "other" 4 players than any other top 10 player in the league. Kobe's teams have been mediocre and a first round losing playoff team at best when he is the primary guy, and doesn't help a strong supporting cast. Until Gasol got there Kobe had barely any chance at all at winning an MVP. Lebron had... Big Z? and carried his team deep in the playoffs two years in a row, with arguably the most impressive indidivual playoff performance of all time against the Pistons, and then again against the Celtics in game 6 of the playoffs... kobe has never done that in the playoffs, in fact he has dissapeared in series before (suns twice)
Paul also had a excellent supporting cast, and although Paul and Kobe are clearly top 5 in the league, Lebron is sort of a combination of both of them, plus Amare Stoudamire, he is completely dominant, scoring at will around the basket, he has ball handling skills and passing ability which make his teammates (even bad ones) much better and his leadership and relentnessness to finish games is unreal.... leading the league in points in the 4th quarter.
Please make a case for why Kobe/Paul/Dunca/Garnett should have won MVP's over him, of course you have to factor in everything..... our of all those guys Duncan and Paul are the only two have shown the ability (Paul not as much because his team is stacked with talent) but to win when there is little help, or a changing atmosphere.
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daShow2k8 5 months ago
Sounds unreasonable to me! Are you a laker fan?
I'd love for you to analyze and break down who is an "equal" to Lebron James in the NBA, and your reasons for that belief.. Who are most consistant and why, who are equal and how do you access that?
I don't believe anyone is close, what he has done for a terrible franchise, that has had different
players every year, and always the worst supporting cast of any superstar, Lebron is a different
type of player than any other in the league. He has the size of Dwight Howard and skill of
Chris Paul. His outside shooting and free throws are his only weakness but he shoots a higher
% than guards like Kobe, Paul which puts him at a different level, because he also rebounds
like a power forward, which Paul doesn't do, and assists like a point guard, which Kobe doesn't
do.
Bottom line he puts his team in contention no matter who is on his team, Kobe has never
done that, and Paul has always had a very strong supporting cast, and most fans can agree
that big men who shoot a high % impact the game and are what every great team is build around,
and Lebron plays more like a big man than the other stars.
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charles champion about 1 year ago
forget lebron james he sucks its all about kobe bryant
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Alex Kennedy about 1 year ago
Yeah, he looked like that MVP last night against Boston... ;) haha
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Jean-Philippe THEIL about 1 year ago
Ok some Lebron haters here... Lebron is great and will be even more than that as time comes, y'all see soon... Kobe deserves MVP because he's great but Martin has a point, just one vote?? I dont think its fair to a guy who brought his bad team to the NBA finals last year and who just averaged Oscar Robertson numbers all season long..
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Martin Whaley about 1 year ago
to answer john's question he was #4
To be honest LeBron really does not have any equal except for Kobe right now, and once LeBron becomes a better shooter he will be better than Kobe
Charles really didn't have much of an argument
To answer Alex, yes he had a horrible game but look for him to be much better in game 2 he now knows what to expect out of the Boston deffense. Every great player has a bad game or two. Also he still doesn't have the cast that will allow him to become legend. Yea the trade helped but it was not that huge step they needed to take like the Lakers did.
besides i don't have to start crying now, look for James to get the honor multiple times in the future!
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daShow2k8 5 months ago
Yeah I think Lebron is better now without being a better shooter, because he shoots a higher
field goal %. His rebounds assists steals blocks are much higher than Kobe, and his impact
on the game is as well. I like Kobe shooting a big shot late in games, but I'd definitely pick
Lebron to dominate the game and handle an offense and make his teammates better,
his supporting cast is the worst in the NBA for any star, and he's taken them deep in
the playoffs on his back 3 years straight. Kobe has never even come close to doing that!
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Brandon Toussaint about 1 year ago
1 first place vote is ridiculous....I think the margin of total points received between Lebron adn Kobe was almost 700. 700? I think its insane to give a guy who was runner up last year for Mvp 4th place this year with a better statistical season....Everyone wants to emphasize they only won 46 games...who cares, agree that the Mvp award is turning into a team award rather than individual. Bryant had a great year...im not denying that, but as far as im concerned this Mvp he got this year was a lifetime achievment award. And people wanna talk about the last game...Did u watch it....when Kobe was scoring 35 a game he wasnt guarded like Lebron is guarded. He certainly didnt this year. Bryant wasnt even in serious Mvp talk until Gasol got there. Without adding Gasol they probably wouldnt even have made the playoffs...Think about it....the number 1 lakers finished like 5 games ahead of 8TH seed Denver. U think Gasol accounted for a good 5 wins? I think so...lol...
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Martin Whaley about 1 year ago
I really agree with how you pointed out that Kobe is not gaurded like LeBron is. Teams continue to foolishly gaurd him 1 on 1. For instance just watch utah and la right now. Ronnie Brewer???
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Mark Paul about 1 year ago
Kobe Stats:
Year Pts -- Reb -- Ast MVP Rank
2007-08 28.3 -- 6.3 -- 5.4 First**
2006-07 31.6* -- 5.7 -- 5.4 Third
2005-06 35.4* -- 5.3 -- 4.5 Fourth
I believe he led the Lakers to the playoffs in 2006. As you can see, Kobe only finished 3rd in the MVP rankings that year. So what's the big deal about Lebron only finishing 4th this year?
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Martin Whaley about 1 year ago
well I first have to point out LeBron's superiority to Kobe in both rebounds and assists. The deal is this mark, both Kobe and LeBron are far more superior than any other athlete in the nba. They should both be 1 and 2 every year. The NBA is at one level, and they are on another.
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daShow2k8 7 months ago
It's a big deal because of the supporting cast... lebron has managed to do much more with less than Kobe has, in the regular season and especially in the playoffs Lebron has a huge edge in that area.... Kobe's teams that made the playoffs without a good center (kwame brown times) failed in the first round of the playoffs, you can argue that the west was better, but that arguement doesn't work when you consider lebron single hadnedly beat the pistons, who were much better than most of hte western teams that season.
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daShow2k8 7 months ago
Well if you are talking stats alone, this is no contest, Lebron's stats are overwhelmingly better. Kobe is a slightly better free throw shooter, and 3 point shooter, but that is the end of that discussion. Lebron is a more efficient scorer, averages more points per game and shooters a much higher field goal %, his assists and rebounds are much higher as well, and his points in the paint, which as well all know centers and power forwards truly win championships, and not guards (aside from jordan) but the I think the comparison is also flawed because Lebron is a small forward and could easily play power forward, he is 6 8 245 pounds, kobe is 6 6 220, and plays a finesse game. Lebron is just a more dominant and bigger player, his size and ability to rebound AND be a dominant passer (like magic) adds more value to his team that in the past few years has had very very little talent. He propels them to a much higher level, and is a more dominant overall player. Kobe is the best shooting guard in the nba, that is not even a contest... but Lebron is not a shooting guard, he's more like a big man with point guard speed... he's a entirely different animal.
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Marcel Miller about 1 year ago
I Agree LeBron was robbed Of Kobe's Ball hogging.
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Brandon Toussaint about 1 year ago
my biggest thing is the disparity between the two teams....Kobe doesnt have to score...he went 6-10 in game 5...and they won....13-33 in game 4, a loss. My question is why does Kobe even need to put up 33 shots on this Lakers team
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daShow2k8 7 months ago
that is true... the key as far as MVP though in my opinion, is what the teams do without them, and which team has more help, which shows the real value of the player themselves and their affect. If you look at the Lakers record without Gasol and without Bynum, and then their record post-gasol... you could make an arguement that Gasol should have been a MVP candidate... Kobe dissapeared in the playoffs when he didn't have help, and complained in the offseason about trading players, and wanting to be traded.... very few fan bases wouldn't have booed him out of town..... once he got help he's a MVP?
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