The 2008-2009 NBA season have only two legitimate MVP candidates, Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. This season both players have been playing at the highest level of their careers and not many other players in the league have meant more to their teams’ success this season than these two players.
After watching the 2008 Summer Olympics, I sat wondering what this season’s MVP race would look like then I anticipated that Lebron, Kobe, and Dwayne Wade among others candidate would be the top contenders.
I honestly felt after Mr. Wade's Olympic performance that his team would get back in the playoff fold this season. His scoring and statistical accomplishments didn't surprise me at all. He has played well all year and his team will make the playoffs, therefore I just can’t say he will win MVP this season.
Lebron and Kobe have gone back and forth this season with great games, win streaks, and major accomplishments, however only one can win this year’s MVP trophy.
My top pick is Kobe Bryant and there will be many who will disagree but the truth is right in front of our faces. Back in March, Kobe Bryant was averaging 27.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game with a current team record of 55-14. In comparison, Lebron James was averaging 28.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.3 assist per game with a team record of 57-13. It’s a very close debate as to who should be the MVP this season. After weighing out team records and statistics, I will clearly illustrate my point of why Kobe deserves to be this season's MVP. The overall stats are almost identical as well as their teams records, but here's what separates the two candidates and what draws me to my vote. In head to head games played this season Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers won BOTH meetings.
At that time, no other NBA team had beaten the Cavaliers twice this season. In the LA Lakers first win against the Cleveland Cavaliers they won by a total of 17 points. In this game, Lebron scored 23 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Kobe, on the other hand, had 20 points, 6 rebounds and a season high 12 assists. In the second match up this season, the Lakers once again beat the Cavs not only did they give them their second lost to a single team in this season; they also snapped a 23 game home win streak. During this game, Kobe Bryant out played Lebron James again with flu like symptoms. Even with flu like symptoms Kobe beats Lebron once more and in his own building by 10 points, giving them one of their losses this season at home. SOME SAY IT IS PURE LUCK, SOME SAY IT JUST KOBE'S WILL TO BE THE BEST AND WIN.
The Boston Celtics are last years NBA World Champions, as well as both teams success measuring sticks. At this present time, both Kobe and Lebron have played the Celtics twice and both teams have different records against them. Lebron’s team was 1-1 against them, where as Kobe’s team stands 2-0 against the world champs. Lebron has beaten the Celtics in Cleveland and loss to them in Boston. In their last meeting, when Lebron played in Boston, their best player Kevin Garnett was out due to an injury giving Cleveland an advantage, however they still lost. On Christmas Day, the Lakers beat the Celtics at the Staples Center snapping a 19 game winning streak. Later on in the season, the Lakers traveled to Boston for their second meeting and once again snapped a 12 game winning streak in which ALL Celtic stars played in both games. SOME SAY IT PURE LUCK, SOME SAY IT JUST KOBE'S WILL TO BE THE BEST AND WIN.
Lebron averages 27 points, 6 rebounds and 5.3 assist versus the Celtics compared to Kobe's 26.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
Again you can argue the stats are too close to give to one person so we have to go to the facts:
1. Kobe snaps both Celtics 19 and 12 game winning streaks.
2. Kobe snaps Cavaliers 23 game home winning streak.
3. Kobe wins in Boston, which Lebron has yet to do this season.
4. Kobe wins in Boston without starter Andrew Bynum.
5. Kobe out plays his opponents when it matters most (Lebron, Pierce, Allen, Garnett.)
6. Kobe Bryant has led his team to wins over the Celtics and Cavs twice this season and gaining home-court advantage in the playoffs.
These are just some scenarios to be used if there is a tie in their records.
Why is Kobe the MVP again? Here's why because he's been a MVP in the most important games of the season. Kobe Bryant is never out of the killer instincts while Lebron’s instinct is a light switch. To take it up a notch Kobe even takes all star games seriously. He came out at All-Star weekend playing as if the LA Lakers were playing the Eastern Conference All-Stars. Kobe Bryant was MVP of the 2009 NBA All-Star Game scoring 27 points, 4 assists, 4 steals and 4 rebounds. To further prove my point Kobe Bryant has been the MVP of the All-Star games 2 out of the last 3 years. Last year, he sat out because of an injury, which leaves us pondering that if he had played he just might have been MVP of that game and the West may have pulled out the victory.
Ira Newbell, who played with both Lebron and Kobe, was asked who is better and this is his response: “You know what, Kobe’s better and if you ask Lebron, he’ll tell you Kobe’s better.” Newbell also stated Bryant’s “tenacity for the game” and his defense is one of superior areas when compared to James. Here's another fact Lebron James has led his team to 57 wins and 13 losses, 34 of those wins come in the sub par East along with 9 losses. His record versus teams in the West is pretty strong with 23 wins and 4 losses with 2 of those losses coming from the hands of Kobe Bryant and the LA Lakers.
When you look at the standings in the Eastern Conference, only 2 other teams besides the Cavs have a record over .600. Kobe, on the other hand, plays in a rugged Western Conference and holds a 9 game lead to have them in first place over the Houston Rockets. In the West all 8 teams fighting for a playoff spot have a winning percentage over .600. Kobe's Lakers have a 55-14 record where they won 18 games and lost 7 to the Eastern Conference, they also own a record best 37-7 versus the teams in the Western Conference. Kobe's record overall is better against more respectable teams in Western Conference and proves that if the LA Lakers were to play in the East that they may have only lost 5 or 6 games all year. The Dallas Mavericks are the 8 seed right now in the West and have a better record than the 8 seeded Chicago Bulls by almost 10 games. If the Mavericks played in the east they would be the 4th seed in the East as where the Chicago Bulls wouldn't even make the playoffs!!! Clearly there is a huge disparity in the conference and is another reason why Kobe gets the vote for MVP.
Yes we can’t fault Lebron for playing in a Sub-par East but we have to consider the wins. What I'm simply saying is that the conference disparity is going to have to be the deciding factor in who gets the MVP. This means comparing Kobe's 55 wins to Lebron's 57 is not right nor is it fair. If the Lakers had to play Chicago, Philly, New York, Washington and a struggling Detroit 4 times a year they'd certainly have significantly more than 55 wins so far this season. With that being said if the Cavaliers played the Lakers, Spurs, Utah, Dallas and New Orleans 4 times a year instead of twice, that would probably have them somewhere in the middle of the conference and not at the top of the Conference at 57 wins! One thing is evident, they have both given us another regular season MVP race to remember but in the end we have to weigh out all aspects and reasons to come to one conclusion and that's who should really get this trophy. Kobe Bryant may have arguably been the MVP the last 4 years but that's another debate. What the world needs to see is that Kobe is putting up comparable numbers to LeBron James while leading his team to the best record in the league, in a tougher conference while playing better in the most important games of the season. To me, that means the reigning MVP deserves to repeat.
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