Let's Be Honest: Kobe Bryant Deserves To Be MVP

For the past two years Los Angeles Lakers fans have been up in arms about Kobe Bryant not winning the MVP.

I wonder how Kobe feels.

He was told he couldn't be MVP until he led a team to a top seed in the West, or until the Lakers were an "Elite Team."

He was told scoring 35 points per game while dropping nearly five assists and grabbing five rebounds a game, scoring 62 points in three quarters, and 81 in one game wasn't enough.

He was told scoring 50+ points in four consecutive games wasn't enough. 

And now this year he's being told leading a team to a great record isn't enough.

Everything I've seen so far this year in the discussion of the MVP has had LeBron James as the leading candidate because "he's doing so much with so little."

Now, I'm not trying to diminish anything LeBron's done this season, but if we go by the same criteria that 20+ MVP voters used to excuse their leaving Bryant completely off their MVP ballots in the 2005-2006 season then LeBron simply can't be the MVP. 

Bryant has now done everything MVP voters of the past two years have asked of him. He's still a volume scorer, averaging 28.1 points this season and 31.4 over the past five games.

He plays both ends of the floor. His defense is lock-down and he's quite possibly a candidate for defensive player of the year.

If you don't believe me ask Yao Ming, Andre Kirilenko, Dwayne Wade, and countless others that Kobe's simply embarrassed with his defense this year.

In addition to his offensive and defensive production come Kobe's intangibles. "Doesn't make his teammates better?" Hogwash. This is a guy who led a team with Smush Parker as its starting point guard, a guy who doesn't even get playing time on the ailing Miami Heat now, to the playoffs in the always competitive Western Conference.

Kobe's leadership has allowed guys like Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Andrew Bynum, and Lamar Odom to grow and strive over the past couple of years.

Even when Smush was in town he looked like a decent point guard in the backcourt with Kobe. Now he's relegated to towel duty for the Miami Heat (the worst team in the league), barely allowed to even look at the floor. Not to mention the seamless transition for Pau Gasol into the Lakers' system.

Give credit to Pau for coming in motivated and ready to contribute, but also give credit to Kobe for recognizing this gift and working hard to make sure Pau gets what he's due.

If anything spoke louder of Kobe's leadership and drive with this team this season it was the recent game with against the Phoenix Suns. This game saw the vintage Kobe that we're all used to: Kobe coming down the court sizing up his man and draining a three over him, Kobe driving to the basket for the thunderous jam, Kobe hopping into the lane to pick off a pass, Kobe leading the break and rewarding the big man for running down the court, Kobe running the pick and roll better than ever, and Kobe simply dominating a close game in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.

The only thing that might hinder Kobe's chances at getting the MVP award for the first time in his career isn't his game—it's the voters.