Los Angeles Lakers: Kobe Bryant Is the Missing MVP Candidate

Kobe Bryant is the NBA's star and hands down the toughest active player to play in the NBA today.

Yet the only two names being thrown around lately for the league’s MVP are LeBron James, and Kevin Durant. Can anyone explain why?

The MVP award shouldn’t be awarded to the best basketball player on paper. It should be awarded to the player in the league who means the most to his team and makes the most of the opportunities that he is presented with throughout the season.

I am tired of the LeBron James love-fest I see every time ESPN’s analysts Chris Broussard, Jon Barry, and Laker great Magic Johnson discuss who should win the MVP award. They don’t know what they are talking about—this same bunch all picked the Heat to beat the Lakers Sunday night and clearly they looked like fools during the halftime report as each analyst regressed on their original game prediction’s.

Kevin Durant is a great basketball player undoubtedly. But he isn’t far and away the best player on his team. He clearly lacks true leadership of his team as he shares it with another great young NBA player in Russell Westbrook.

Imagine Kevin Durant takes a night off; it’s very possible to imagine Russell Westbrook could fill the void with leadership and points scored. Kevin Durant is averaging 28.2 PPG, but Russell Westbrook isn’t too far behind him with 23.6—and he isn’t even a shooting guard.

LeBron James, on paper and talent, is the best player in the NBA. But shouldn’t the best player in NBA know it? Case and point, LeBron James shy’s away from the pressure and as Bill Simmons said it “I never thought he would pick HELP!” by going to Miami.

I heard those same NBA analysts above mention how James “made the right basketball play” Friday night in their loss against Utah.

Huh?

The best basketball player in the NBA doesn’t make the right play, because HE IS THE PLAY! If the right basketball play is to score the game-winning shot, then you take the game-winning shot and live with the results. You don’t pass the ball the to a glorified bench player.

If you’re the best player in the NBA why would you want to share a team with anyone? The main reason is, because if you are just one of the best players on the team, you never really have to take or face all the pressure when your team loses, you get the luxury of being able to take a night a off from the pressure of being a star.  

Michael Jordan said it best about wanting the spotlight to himself on his team “I can't say that's a bad thing. It's an opportunity these kids have today. In all honesty, I was trying to beat those guys," Those guys being, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

LeBron James is averaging 27.8 PPG, while the only champion on his team, Dwyane Wade, is averaging 22.9 PPG. LeBron James is third league-wide in points scored.

Kobe Bryant doesn’t talk much, but when he needs to prove a point he makes sure the whole country is watching. Against the Lakers in a nationally televised game, LeBron James took 10 shots in the first quarter going 5-of-10, which would be pretty impressive, except that “the seventh best player in the league” went 8-of-10 in the same quarter reminding the country and sportswriters everywhere that the he has five championship rings for a reason.

Imagine a guy who before the season, tears ligaments in his wrist, resulting in an injury that would sideline most players and possibly require surgery. Now imagine this guy decides to wrap up that wrist and play his heart out.

Pretty tough dude, right?

Continue to imagine that this same player with a banged up wrist will himself to be the league leading scorer at the end of the first half of the season.

Pretty impressive, right?

Just when he is about rest imagine this same guy suffers a broken nose and a concussion before the start of the second half of the season.

Did he sit out?

The answer is no, he played the next three games and scored more than 30 points in each game.

This guy doesn’t exist you say?

Of course not, because this imaginative idea isn’t a “guy” at all, he is a basketball pariah, he is the Black Mamba. There isn’t a deadlier assassin with the basketball than Kobe Bryant, but yet the leagues scoring leader isn’t worthy of the MVP award?

Bryant leads his team and the league with 28.9 PPG. The next leader on his team averages 16.7. Bryant is playing hurt because he doesn’t want to wear a suit on the sideline; he is playing hurt because if he doesn’t his team won’t win games.

There isn’t a team that needs their start player more than the Lakers need Bryant. There also isn’t a head coach who needs their star more than Mike Brown does.

With all that being said, doesn’t that make Kobe Bryant worthy enough to win the MVP award?

The NBA is filled with egos, but there are hardly enough talent to match all those egos. Let’s not kid ourselves and award the MVP to LeBron James or even Kevin Durant just yet. Fast-break points are exciting and high flying dunks are nice to admire, that’s what makes the NBA so exciting to watch.

In reality though, basketball games aren’t won by loud cheering fans. The toughest games are won by men willing to risk being vilified by the same critics who praise them when they are great. With that said the only one who should hoisting that Maurice Podoloff Trophy should be the Black Mamba.

Though I am sure if you asked him, James and Durant could create all the highlights they want to win the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, because the only trophy No. 24 cares about is the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy.