James retakes MVP throne
Playing like Magic for La La Land
If only the rules allowed for it, LeBron James could become the first professional athlete to win NBA Executive of the Year and MVP honors in the same season.
Halfway through the season, he merits the first for the job he, with the help of agent Rich Paul, did enticing Anthony Davis from the Pelicans to the Lakers. The maneuvering broke the hearts of basketball fans in New Orleans and Boston, and because of the way Davis handled his exit made for a bad look for the NBA. Fine, but none of that was LeBron’s problem. He got what he wanted: an extremely talented teammate to increase his chances for another ring.
The latter award, the MVP, LeBron deserves for tweaking his game in a way to give Davis the best of all possible welcomes. LeBron made sure that Davis got off to a great start by putting his new teammate’s scoring needs ahead of his own. By doing so, James finds himself leading the NBA in assists with 10.9 per game. James has led the NBA in minutes per game three times, scoring once (30.0 in 2007-08) and is on pace to add an assist title at the age of 35.
If he gets it, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound force will be the tallest NBA assist leader since the 6-9, 220-pound Magic’s final of four helper titles in 1986-87.
Too many sports conversations for too many years always dwindled down to who’s better: Michael Jordan or LeBron? Thankfully, LeBron’s MVP drought has made that talk fade.
James’ game now resembles another Dream Teamer: former Laker great Magic Johnson. Magic and LeBron, two huge men playing point guard, bringing out the best in teammates, so good for the NBA. But Magic never defended the way LeBron can.
James, also averaging 25.5 points and 7.7 rebounds, is in the midst of the longest MVP drought of his career. His first came in his sixth season and he hasn’t won one in the past six seasons.
The award has gone to five different players since James’ run of four in five years ended: Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Russell
Westbrook, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Looking to repeat, the Greek Freak represents James’ stiffest competition for MVP honors this season. For one thing, the Bucks have the best record in the NBA, the Lakers the secondbest. Nobody has Antetokounmpo’s stats (30 ppg, 12.8 rpg, 5.5 apg), and he brings a terrific attitude to the job every day.
Harden’s averaging 37.1 points a game, so he’ll get some support, but the way
Russell Westbrook is playing, is Harden even the best player on his team?
Davis (27.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg) is doing so many things to make the Lakers so much better than a year ago, but LeBron has had to do even more with reviving his stardom than Davis has had to do with giving James a boost.
Bouncing back from an injury-weakened season, LeBron’s the best player in the game, and when the best player in the game is having a great season and his team is doing the same, why complicate matters and vote for anybody else for the award?
This would be James’ fifth MVP award in an 11-year span, the same time period it took Jordan to win his five trophies. Jordan too, fell victim to a case of expertitis on the part of MVP voters, losing the award one year to Charles Barkley, another year to Karl Malone. Jordan was the obvious choice both years, too obvious for many of the voters, who like to peel back the layers to find the true winner. Derrick Rose won the award in the middle of LeBron’s four trophies in five years in 2010-11, when the Bulls won 62 games. He deserved it, but it just as easily could have gone to James.
It won’t be a travesty of justice if Antetokounmpo wins the award, but if James continues on the path he’s on, it’ll be hard to deny him his fifth MVP trophy. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six) won more.