Spring Break
Paul, Not Bryant Deserves MVP
NBA
Joe Colombo
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: Sports
The NBA's Most Valuable Player award will be announced next month, and it's going to be a sad day for fans of Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets. That or Kobe Bryant haters.
Bryant is without a doubt one of the best players of this decade, and that's something even his retractors have to admit. If you think about it, that's probably why people despise him so much; he repeatedly comes up in the clutch and is constantly a shut-down defender.
The MVP is going to go to Bryant, and he's surely a top-tier candidate. But Paul is more deserving, and he's going to walk away empty-handed simply because of history and league politics.
He will receive the honor this year because of his career achievements. I'll say it again: He deserves the award - there's no doubt in my mind. But if the NBA doesn't award Bryant an MVP award at some point of his NBA tenure, the trophy might as well be destroyed via dragging behind a four-door sedan, George Costanza style. This is Bryant's year.
After looking at Bryant's numbers, it's impossible to argue that he isn't one of the greatest not just of this decade, but of all-time. In his career, he's averaging 25 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and only 2.9 turnovers. He's shot 84 percent from the free-throw line and 45 percent from the floor. The numbers go beyond his career playing statistics. He's a 10-time all-star, a seven-time all-defensive selection and a two-time scoring champion. The most important number of all: he has three rings.
It's really too bad for Paul. Even though he is a lock for multiple MVP awards in his career (he's only 22 years old), this should have been his year. Unfortunately, Dallas Mavericks' star Dirk Nowitzki won the MVP award last season; Bryant should have been the recipient then, hands down.
Although Nowitzki led the Mavericks to 67 wins last season - and a first-round loss to the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors - Bryant did much more with less around him. Just getting to the playoffs last year was a huge accomplishment for the Lakers. Bryant averaged 31.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists with a virtually invisible Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom for 56 games and without Pau Gasol. How he only took slightly less than 23 shots per contest last season is still beyond me. Every great player (I'm talking about Bryant "great," not Nowitzki "great") deserves an MVP, and no one was more worthy than Bryant last season.
Bryant is without a doubt one of the best players of this decade, and that's something even his retractors have to admit. If you think about it, that's probably why people despise him so much; he repeatedly comes up in the clutch and is constantly a shut-down defender.
The MVP is going to go to Bryant, and he's surely a top-tier candidate. But Paul is more deserving, and he's going to walk away empty-handed simply because of history and league politics.
He will receive the honor this year because of his career achievements. I'll say it again: He deserves the award - there's no doubt in my mind. But if the NBA doesn't award Bryant an MVP award at some point of his NBA tenure, the trophy might as well be destroyed via dragging behind a four-door sedan, George Costanza style. This is Bryant's year.
After looking at Bryant's numbers, it's impossible to argue that he isn't one of the greatest not just of this decade, but of all-time. In his career, he's averaging 25 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists and only 2.9 turnovers. He's shot 84 percent from the free-throw line and 45 percent from the floor. The numbers go beyond his career playing statistics. He's a 10-time all-star, a seven-time all-defensive selection and a two-time scoring champion. The most important number of all: he has three rings.
It's really too bad for Paul. Even though he is a lock for multiple MVP awards in his career (he's only 22 years old), this should have been his year. Unfortunately, Dallas Mavericks' star Dirk Nowitzki won the MVP award last season; Bryant should have been the recipient then, hands down.
Although Nowitzki led the Mavericks to 67 wins last season - and a first-round loss to the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors - Bryant did much more with less around him. Just getting to the playoffs last year was a huge accomplishment for the Lakers. Bryant averaged 31.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.4 assists with a virtually invisible Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom for 56 games and without Pau Gasol. How he only took slightly less than 23 shots per contest last season is still beyond me. Every great player (I'm talking about Bryant "great," not Nowitzki "great") deserves an MVP, and no one was more worthy than Bryant last season.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 18
Bro
posted 4/24/08 @ 11:34 AM EST
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRReat Beers beers beers whos drinkin beers? Im drinking beers
dude
posted 4/24/08 @ 12:51 PM EST
your an idiot for writing this article. kobe avg 35 points in a season and didnt get MVP . hes the best thing sense MJ in the nba, and the closest to him. (Continued…)
mandude
posted 4/24/08 @ 1:12 PM EST
kobe is a great player, an excellent player but he takes more shots than anyone else in the NBA... i dont think he deserves it... sometime later in his career but not this year. (Continued…)
brodude
posted 4/24/08 @ 1:55 PM EST
Only the 8th player in the history of the NBA to average 20+ points 10+ assists in a season. First player since 91-92 to lead the league in both assists and steals. (Continued…)
EE
posted 4/24/08 @ 3:09 PM EST
This article relies heavily on the insinuation that statistics should decide the MVP award and that being the case, Chris Paul or Lebron are the more worthy candidates. (Continued…)
nba
posted 4/24/08 @ 5:21 PM EST
after reading this i'm convinced that you know nothing of basketball, nor do you know how to think.
"This is why you can make the same case for Paul right now, or even LeBron James. (Continued…)
nba
posted 4/24/08 @ 5:36 PM EST
mandude said " kobe is a great player, an excellent player but he takes more shots than anyone else in the NBA"
for your information, lebron james shot the most this season, and i suspect if gilbert arenas played he would have averaged more than kobe, too. (Continued…)
phil
posted 4/24/08 @ 5:56 PM EST
Just because Kobe doesn't bring the ball up the court, doesn't mean he can't. The Lakers--unlike the Cavs--have an excellent starting PG.
If Kobe did bring the ball up the court he'd have more assists for sure. (Continued…)
tony
posted 4/24/08 @ 5:57 PM EST
The only reason Kobe did not get the MVP last year was because Dallas was the number one seed last year Kobe had great number but this year the MVP is Kobe with his unselfish play this year and the number one seed in the west. (Continued…)
guilt
posted 4/24/08 @ 6:27 PM EST
Hey dummy that posted the long paragraph. MVP is most valuable Player or Most Valuable Paul. Worse off team without kobe and paul is obviosly the hornets. (Continued…)
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