Akron Welcomes LeBron James, MVP with Open Arms
May 2, 2010NBA Blog Contest – Game 2
May 3, 2010While We’re Waiting serves as the early morning gathering of WFNY-esque information for your viewing pleasure. Have something you think we should see? Send it to our tips email at tips@waitingfornextyear.com
“If we’re going to hold this award up as a symbol of respect, to recognize what is widely accepted outside of NBA-centric circles as an indication of the best basketball player on the planet for a given season, the NBA and its media partners need to give the voting process the respect it deserves.
116 out of the 122 voters plus the 1 vote by the fans through online vote voted for LeBron James in first place. The other seven? They constitute a viable line of reasoning for a revamping of the vote process. […]
Even if you feel that James’ resting of the regular season was “cowardly,” surely the phenomenal season he had, the impact on the Cavaliers, his position as best player on the best team record-wise, his performance in the clutch, and astounding numbers would lead you to vote otherwise… IF the vote itself was more valuable than what you say with it. But as it currently stands, the league takes a very hands-off approach.” [Matt Moore/ProBasketballTalk]
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“James controls almost every aspect of the game. He has been the most productive player in the league the past two seasons. And, his team has had the best record in the league in both 2009 and 2010. Finally, his support staff is nothing out of the ordinary. It’s not exactly like Bird having McHale and Parrish or Magic having Kareem and Worthy or Jordan having Pippen and Rodman.
James may be the MVP every year for the next decade, but there will always be someone who can’t see the obvious.” [Upon Further Review/Kansas City Star]
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“The underlying theme of this ceremony was one of leverage, of how James at 25 has so quickly grown adept at inviting and including larger audiences to be involved in his career. By returning to his hometown of Akron, a 45-minute drive south of Cleveland, he was celebrating his day in terms that were especially meaningful to him. By inviting his teammates onto the stage with him he was sharing the award with the players who helped him win it. By reminding the people of Akron that he was and always will be one of them, he was letting the country know how he wishes to be seen — as a player who hasn’t forgotten where he came from.” [Ian Thomsen/SI.com]
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“Maybe one day Braylon Howard, age two, will grow up and win the LeBron James MVP award. By that time, the trophy probably will bear LeBron’s name because he’ll have won it, oh, 10 consecutive seasons. James is poised to make it two MVPs in a row today.
Braylon’s dad, Dwight Howard, 24, doesn’t look to have much of a chance in his career, considering he was born in the Era of King James, 25.” [Brian Schmitz/Orlando Sentinel]
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“In the modern era, voters don’t want to give it to the same player two years in a row. The last two back-to-back winners, Steve Nash and Tim Duncan, each took one of their awards by historically narrow margins. So it is impressive James won both in landslides, gaining first-place voters in the second year when the voters went into the season holding him to a higher standard. He’ll be held to even a higher one next season.” [Brian Windhorst]
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“LeBron’s second consecutive MVP award is official. He was seven ballots away from a unanimous vote. Two voters put him third. It is what it is. I would love to see the argument for putting Durant over LeBron, and would especially love to show the Dwight voters some of his box scores from games this year. Alas. Stephen Jackson getting a fifth-place vote was the comedy highlight of the ballot for me.” [Cavs the Blog]
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And finally, “Tragic subplot of the [seven] anti-LeBron MVP voters: they took the Moron Limelight away from the guy who gave Stephen Jackson a 5th place vote.” [Bill Simmons]
*Simmons also vowed to have all seven non-LeBron voters’ names by week’s end. Stay tuned.
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(Image via REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk)
8 Comments
Go get ’em Simmons! Make them pay! They will rue the day they didn’t vote for LeBron! I said rue!
Hearts for Bill.
What is oddly frustrating as a sports fan, however, is something that the Kansas City Star piece touches on but I think approaches from the wrong angle.
It’s not there will always be people “who can’t see the obvious.” It’s that there will always be people who see the obvious and either ignore or it or purposefully disregard it for their own aggrandizement or agenda-furthering.
I want names AND addresses. 🙂
Exactly, Jack. There is that guy from the Orlando Sentinel who said he wouldn’t vote for LBJ for MVP because he sat out a meaningless game late in the year. Seriously? How about the fact that LEBRON WAS SO GOOD ALL YEAR THAT HIS TEAM DIDN’T *HAVE TO* PLAY HARD THAT GAME?
There are those that will look for any excuse to do what they wanted to do because they simply can’t be objective, and/or because they want to steal some of the limelight and get their names out there.
By making a big deal of the 7 votes LeBron didn’t get, we’re taking the spotlight off LeBron and putting it on those 7 voters, which is exactly what they wanted.
I was amazed by the fact that LeBron had more first place votes this year than last! Like Windhorst said, “voters don’t want to give it to the same player two years in a row.”
i like the sentinel article about pooooooor d. howard. bad news dwight, YOU AREN’T GOING TO WIN THE MVP BECAUSE YOU’LL NEVER BE THE LEAGUES MOST VALUABLE PLAYER. EVER. is there a city more full of cry babies than orlando??? whining runs rampant within their fans, media, announcers, coach, players, etc, its unreal! my feelings on magic fans are summed up in this quote from the famous silky johnson: “I hate you, I hate you, and I don’t even know you and I hate your guts. I hope all the bad things in life happen to you, and nobody else, but you.”
Speaking of names I want to know, does Maurice Podoloff’s middle name start with V?
It’s weird. I lived in Chicago during most of Michael Jordan’s reign and I absolutely hated Michael Jordan. However, I could never make an argument that he didn’t deserve an MVP award because I didn’t like him.