As the regular basketball season is coming to a close, there is big talk about who will be rewarded this year's MVP (Most Valuable Player). This is an honor that been given to many basketball greats over the years. Michael Jordan, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and many others have been bestowed this great award.
The MVP award in not something given to bums that play in the NBA. Those that receive this award are the ones that drastically effected the game that particular season and raised their team above almost every other team. The MVP award would not be given to the best player in the league on a team with a horrible record. There is no allure to that kind of situation.
Instead, a player must not only shine, but make his team rise to heights that would not be possible without him. Therefore, one can not only play well, but must make those around him better.
Now growing up I used to believe that the MVP award went to the best player in the NBA. As I began to understand the game of basketball better I realized that was not the case. When I was growing up, Michael Jordan was the NBA. To many he was the best player in the NBA and throughout his career received the MVP award a whopping five times. Kareen Abdul-Jabbar won it six times, but I wasn't alive then and never really seen him play, so I have no opinion of his game, but respect him nonetheless. With Jordan winning it five times and being regarded as the best player in the NBA it became my belief that the MVP honor would be attained each year by the best player in the league.
When the 2004 MVP award was announced I realized that not to be true any longer (I had a better understanding of the game by 2004 and paid closer attention to basketball). Kevin Garnett won the MVP award that year. I know many Boston fans will probably exit from this page right now, but for those of you still reading, let me make my point. Garnett, since the beginning of his career had been an excellent player. It was very unfortunate that he was however on a sub-par team that could barely make the playoffs most years, plus playing in Minnesota did not offer him much publicity. But as time went on in Garnett's career, the Minnesota Timberwolves were able to attract a few solid players that were able to help Garnett improve the Timberwolves to be one of the dominates teams in the west. In the 2003-2004 season the Timberwolves earned the top seed in the West and did damage in the playoff, but lost in the Western Conference Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers, who lost to the Detroit Pistons in the Finals.
There is no doubt about. Garnett was a great player then and still is. But he definitely was not the best player in the NBA then. And that's when I realized that the MVP didn't go to the best player in the NBA, it went to the most valuable player on the most talked about team in the NBA with regard, key word “regard”. People were surprised to see the Timberwolves excelling and happy to see that Garnett finally have other core players around him, therefore, the Timberwolves began to be heavily talked about. Garnett's statistics throughout his career have remained constant pretty much since his third year in the league, with a drop since joining the Boston Celtics for obvious reasons.
Check out the MVP recipients since Kevin Garnett:
Steve Nash – MVP award 2005 and 2006. The Phoenix Suns were a non-stop offense and Nash was their catalyst. The Suns were an exciting team to watch. The media loved what Nash was doing and scoring points is how to get people's attention. Admitted by many, they played no defense and basketball has two sides.
Dirk Nowitzki – MVP award 2007. He played very well that year, but was knocked out in the playoffs in the first round. Dallas Mavericks owner heavy in the media, publicizing the team. Mavericks were good that year and Nowitzki was playing well. Made it to the NBA Finals the year prior and is actually playing even better in 2010-2011, but will receive no MVP award because his team is not being talked about like before, and they are still really good.
Kobe Bryant – MVP award 2008. Might be the first year in a long time the award went to the best player in the NBA. But that season the Los Angeles Lakers were talked a lot about because of Bryant trade rumors, then big acquisitions during the season kept them in the media more than any other team along with the Boston Celtics. The Celtics' big three are just that, the Big Three and the MVP award can only go to one person. Bryant made it to the NBA Finals and lost. Bryant won the NBA Championship two years in a row following, no MVP award then.
LeBron James – MVP award 2009 and 2010. Great player, stand out player in the NBA. Those two years he won the award, non-stop talk about whether or not he would stay in Cleveland after his contract was up. Flashy player, big dunks kept him on the media and people's minds. Teams was atop the Eastern Conference, should get the MVP award if he was the best player on the best team. Was he the best player on the best team? Didn't make it to the finals either year, and did a few years before, however, no MVP award that year.
So then who is going to receive the NBA MVP award this year? Derrick Rose. If he doesn't get it I will be shocked. Rose has raised the Chicago Bulls back to stardom. He is the best player on his team and proves it just about every night. Yes, he has a bad shooting nights here and there, but who doesn't? He deserves the award this year, not saying he is most deserving of the award, but he deserves it.
Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls have been heavily talked about this year behind the Los Angeles Lakers and the Miami Heat, the Heat the foremost. But the Heat have three stars and that is just one over the threshold this year for MVP honors I believe. That would seemingly leave Bryant and Rose fighting it out, but let's face the facts here. People like the underdog and Rose is an underdog when you compare him to Bryant. Plus, everyone expects the Lakers to excel and Rose and the Bulls came out of left field and caught everyone by surprise. That shock will knock Rose ahead of Bryant and give him the MVP award this year.
Mr. Felder.
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