Picking the NBA MVP is Easy and Unfair | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
The "MVP! MVP!" chants are loud and common. At various arenas peppered throughout the country, tens of thousands of fans are invested in the closest, most intriguing MVP race of this generation.
The headline of this MVP race is Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, the two best basketball players in the world putting on dominating performances in opposite conferences. The resurgence of the hallowed-Celtics made Kevin Garnett the early season favorite.
Chris Paul has commanded the embryonic Hornets to a top spot in the toughest West ever. Tracy McGrady has thrust himself into the conversation by virtue of his team's historic 22 game winning streak.
The debate is heated, with opinions from all viewpoints boiling over on thousands of sports websites and TV shows. The debate, however, is a mute point. Looking at history it's easy to see what the NBA regular season MVP award has become and what it is not.
The NBA MVP award is not an "Outstanding Individual Performance" award. It's not an Oscar for the "Best Actor in a Lead Role." The NBA MVP award requirement is simple; it goes to the best player on the best team, assuming that player is having a career year. Let's look at the MVP award winners from the past 25 years:
Year
Player
Wins
Winner of their...
2007
Dirk Nowitzki
67
Conference
2006
Steve Nash
54
Division
2005
Steve Nash
62
Conference
2004
Kevin Garnett
58
Conference
2003
Tim Duncan
60
Conference
2002
Tim Duncan
58
Division
2001
Allen Iverson
56
Conference
2000
Shaquille O'Neal
67
Conference
1999
Karl Malone
61
Conference
1998
Michael Jordan
62
Conference
1997
Karl Malone
64
Conference
1996
Michael Jordan
72
Conference
1995
David Robinson
62
Conference
1994
Hakeem Olajuwon
58
Division
1993
Charles Barkley
62
Conference
1992
Michael Jordan
67
Conference
1991
Michael Jordan
61
Conference
1990
Magic Johnson
63
Conference
1989
Magic Johnson
57
Conference
1988
Michael Jordan
50
none
1987
Magic Johnson
65
Conference
1986
Larry Bird
67
Conference
1985
Larry Bird
63
Conference
1984
Larry Bird
62
Conference
1983
Moses Malone
65
Conference
To win the MVP your team must almost always win the conference, but at least your division, and your team must win a ton of games. Generally in the high 50's, often times in the 60's.
In fact, the MVP's team over the last 25 years has averaged 62 wins on the season. The lone exception was Michael Jordan in 1988 who didn't win his conference or division, but still had an outstanding year and won 50 games.
Per those requirements, it's easy to see who be this season's NBA MVP:
Tracy McGrady: The Rockets' streak is mind blowing and possibly the longest win streak you or I will see in our lifetimes. Their inspiring teamwork has them in a stratosphere occupied only by the Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West led Lakers of 1972. Coach Rick Adelman should get serious Coach of the Year consideration and the Rockets deserve the "Best Teamwork" award, but T-Mac is actually having his quietest individual season since his Toronto days.
Bottom line: Great team record, not having a career year.
Kevin Garnett: Individual stats don't tell the whole story. Kevin Garnett's presence has transformed the Boston Celtic's like night to day. You could take a before and after picture of the Celtics that would be as stunning as any change on The Biggest Loser. In this case, Danny Ainge and the fans in Boston are the biggest winners, landing the Big Ticket and resurrecting the most storied franchise in basketball. However, he has elevated his team so high that for the first time in his career he doesn't have to do it all and that, ironically, is why he won't win MVP.
Bottom line: MVP-type team record, not having a career year.
LeBron James: He won't win it for the same reason Kobe couldn't win it the last two years; he is willing his undermanned team to victory with dominating performances night in and night out, but unfortunately his team's record isn't good enough. With his team sitting seven games behind Orlando (and 11 games behind the division leading Pistons) the Cavs will end up as the fourth seed in a watered down east. And they would have to go 12-2 in their final 14 games just to reach 50 wins, yet the Cavs as a team don't even have a positive point differential.
LeBron is having the most impressive individual season in the NBA and should own the league for the next 12 years. Michael Jordan won six championships and five MVPs. I have no doubt that LeBron will do that same when all is said and done, with an even bigger marketing campaign.
Bottom line: MVP-type individual season, but the team record is not good enough.
Chris Paul: The Hornets are one of the biggest, most pleasant, surprises of the season. Chris Paul may be the most dynamic, effective player in the NBA. That may sound crazy, but have you seen him play? He absolutely controls the game with his masterful command of the ball, going where he wants and doing whatever he wants when he wants. And he has played better as the season has gone on, averaging 18 and 10 on 48% shooting (38% three-pointers) in November to 26 and 14 on 59% shooting (48% three-pointers) this month.
Playing the starting point guard on Team USA after his rookie year (to the high praise of his teammates) was just the beginning. The Hornets are for real. They're legit. They own a great home record, a great road record, and a great conference record. Oft times young players are likened to NBA legends prematurely and without merit, but in Paul's case, "Little Isiah" is right on the money.
Bottom line: Great team record, having a career year, deserving of MVP.
Kobe Bryant: Accepted as the best all around player in the game on both ends of the court, Kobe has been the NBA's best individual performer the last two seasons. Without going into theatrics about Kobe's career, super stardom, dark years, or the Lakers speedy rebuilding back to contention, I will cap this segment by reminding you that the MVP is not a fair award.
Although it is meant to celebrate a single individual season, Kobe's career accomplishments will factor in. There is a large contingent of fans who believe he should have won the award at least once in the past two years but, even more so, there's a universal sentiment that the best player in the game needs to win the game's highest individual honor, at least once.
Bottom line: Great team record, great individual season, deserving of MVP.
Following the established pattern, the 2008 NBA MVP award will come down to Kobe or Chris Paul, and whoever ends up with the No. 1 seed in the West is deserving of that honor. However, Kobe gets the edge due to career and sentimental reasons.
The NBA’s Criteria For Selection of the MVP
Each year, the National Basketball Association (NBA) gives an award called the Most Valuable Player (MVP) to the player who has done the best in the regular season since the 1955–56 season. The winner is awarded the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which was named in honor of the first commissioner of the NBA, who served from 1946 to 1963 and was the league’s first president.
The MVP Selection Group
In the past, the Most Valuable Player of the NBA was selected by the league’s players by casting votes. As time went along, the award was at one point determined by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters from throughout the United States and Canada since the 1980–81 season.
Since 2010, supporters have been able to cast one vote for each candidate via online voting. The prize is given to the player who has accrued the greatest number of points. An online sportsbook is available where bets can be placed to determine the season’s most valuable player.
Finding the MVP in the Crowd
The most valuable player on the most successful team is known as the MVP. Alternatively, you’re looking at someone who has done something really remarkable over the course of an 82-game regular season. However, most of the time, it’s the one player most responsible for propelling his club above the preseason forecasts of so-called experts. There is no set way to find the MVP. It could be based on the opinions of other players, advanced analytics, or the eye test.
Who are the MVPs?
To be considered for MVP, a player must demonstrate a high level of personal achievement, as well as team leadership and flashes of brilliance. As long as we keep discussing who the MVP is, the NBA will never give us a clear definition or set of criteria for the award. Every evaluator grades based on their own criteria. This is made easier as there are usually only a few candidates who make a strong case for the prize each season.
To earn the MVP award, your team must nearly always win the conference, if not your division, and win a large number of games. It is usually in the upper 50s, though sometimes in the 60s. In fact, during the previous 25 years, the MVP’s club averaged 62 victories every season. Michael Jordan was the lone exception in 1988 when despite not winning his conference or division, he had a terrific year and won his team win 50 games. Six times in a row, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the recipient of the award. It’s also notable that he is the only player to win the award despite his team’s failure to advance to the playoffs in 1975–76. Wilt Chamberlain and LeBron James each won the award four times, while Bill Russell and Michael Jordan each won it five times.
When it comes to the NBA’s criteria for selecting the most valuable player, a couple of things are taken into consideration, such as the ability of the player to affect a season, game, and franchise in several ways possible, and not just the amount of points the player is able to score.
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LeBron James became the MVP of the NBA Finals for the 4th time in his career :: Basketball :: RBC Sport
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Lakers basketball player ranks second in league history by this indicator
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Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Valuable Player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Final Series. This was reported by the press service of the tournament.
On Monday night, the Lakers defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. The team from California won the sixth match of the series with a score of 106:93 and became the champion for the 17th time in history. James scored 28 points in this match.
Earlier this season, James was also named MVP of the regular season. He became the second player in NBA history to win the league's major personal honors four times. According to this indicator, he is second only to Michael Jordan, who became the MVP of the finals six times and regular season MVP five times.
James also became the first player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP on three different teams. Previously, the athlete was recognized as the best in the "Miami" and "Cleveland". He also became the only basketball player to win the NBA with three different clubs while averaging over 25 points per game in the playoffs.
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Andrey Tumanov
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Basketball player Porzingis dreams of becoming an NBA MVP / Article
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Latvian basketball star Kristaps Porzingis dreams of one day becoming the most valuable player in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he admitted in an interview with The Players' Tribune.
Now the 22-year-old basketball player continues to recover from a serious injury - a torn cruciate ligament. It is assumed that the New York Knicks basketball player will be able to return to the floor by Christmas.
“I always say jokingly that I have a short memory for champions, and after what happened, I can't worry about things for too long. I'm just trying to move on, even with this injury. I have seen the video of my injury thousands of times. I know exactly how I felt at that moment. I couldn’t avoid it, it just happened,” Porzingis admitted.
“The scar on the knee will remain, but it is more important that there are no psychological consequences. When I get back to the court, I won’t think about the knee anymore. The main thing in this trauma is the psychological side. It is important not to lose concentration. We train hard to get on the court and fight in a five-on-five format. And when you recover from an injury, you fight alone, ”said the athlete.
Porzingis spent part of the rehabilitation course at the base of the Spanish basketball giant, the Real team.
“The main reason I wanted to be treated in Madrid was the conditions offered by Real. They are one of the best in the world, if not the best. Everything needed was there. And there was nothing to complain about, ”said the basketball player.
And this summer, Porzingis began to pay more attention to yoga.
“Absolutely honest, I have no fear because of the injury. I'm not concerned. One day I want to become the most valuable player in the NBA and the best defense specialist. These are still my goals. If self-confidence is enough and work hard to become the best, then why be afraid of failure? ”Porzingis believes.
These days, Knicks head coach David Fizdale came to visit Porzingis in his homeland - Liepaja.
Porzingis, who was out for almost half of the season due to injury, played 48 games last year, becoming the team's top scorer, averaging 22.7 points per game. His Knicks team failed to qualify for the playoffs last season for the fifth year in a row.
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