James is taking off in race for the MVP
Eighteen years of playing NBA basketball and LeBron James looks like a strong contender for the most valuable player award.
James is 36 and still producing numbers like his 37 points on 14for-22 shooting, eight rebounds and six assists in carrying the Lakers to a 116-105 win over Charlotte on Thursday night at Staples Center.
To be crowned MVP this season, over so many other worthy candidates, would mean a lot to James.
“I try to be there every night for my ballclub. And being available to them and being the best player on the floor every night,” James said in a postgame videoconference.
“You rewarded with that reward. It is something. It means something for sure,” he added. “I’m not going to sit here and say it doesn’t mean anything to me.
“And for me to be able to win it a few times in my career [has] always been special. And being in the running, hearing my name with some of the best basketball players in the league this year again, it would mean a lot. At my age, what I’m able to do, what I’ve been doing this whole season, what I bring to the table every single night on both sides of the floor, it would mean an unbelievable thing for me, especially at this point in my career. So, we just see where the chips may lay.”
James has won the award four times — in 2013, 2012, 2010 and 2009. He would become the oldest MVP, surpassing Karl Malone, who was 35 when he won it in 1999.
Every year, it seems, James is called the best player in the world. His teammates and coaches strongly believe James should have more MVP trophies. What does James think? “I should have more than four, I believe. But ... I don’t sit around thinking about it or crying about it, or whatever the case may be,” James said. “I just try to come in the next season and be the MVP and be talked about it again. I bet a lot of the greatest that played this game feel like they should have more as well. If you ask any one of those guys. So, this is another opportunity for me to be able to be recognized as the best player for that particular season, and this season. So, hopefully I can continue to just play great basketball and see what happens at the end.” Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo won the MVP award the last two years.
James is averaging 25.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and 8.0 assists. He has the Lakers sitting in second place in the Western Conference. And James has had to do much of his work with running mate Anthony Davis sidelined because of a strained right calf.
“He’s the best player that ever played the game, in my opinion. I stated that. I think many feel that,” coach Frank Vogel said. “And he continues to prove it with his play. ... To still be the best player in the league is just remarkable.”