Kobe: The True MVP?
As was officially announced yesterday, Kobe Bryant has won the MVP award this year. The hardware may already be his, but here is why Kobe is not the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.
Have We Already Forgotten?
Summer 2007. Am I the only one was still remembers what this guy was putting his team through last summer? Not a few years ago, not when he came into the league…LAST SUMMER. Let’s even forget the summer, because this went into this season. Kobe was very close to making his Michael Jordan obsession complete by becoming a Bull. Not only did he distract his team for the first portion of the year, but also destroyed the chemistry of the Bulls in the process.
I find it very hard to believe that a player who was so destructive and selfish this season can be named MVP at the end of it. Does the most valuable player usually demand a trade to start a year? Uh…no. Does he get videos of him complaining about his franchise in a parking lot put on YouTube? No. Does he get bailed out midseason by one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history? Actually…
The Power of Pau
Let’s be clear: if the MVP is being given this year just for getting the Lakers to the top of the West, it should be given to Gasol. The trade that brought Pau Gasol to Los Angeles is the reason that the Lakers are the number one seed in the West. The Lakers were decent before Gasol got there. They probably would have made the playoffs and gotten bounced by Phoenix for the third year running. With Gasol they became a force.
Somehow through all of this, Bryant got the credit for the resurgence of the Lakers. “He has become a better teammate” said some. No, he just finally got a player on his team worth throwing the ball to. The win count of the Lakers, Kobe’s assist count, and the higher performance of his team all comes from Gasol. He gave teams a reason to actually pay attention to the center position. Kobe did not change at all.
But Kobe Has Skills
And? Since when was the MVP the individual skill award? Bryant is not the best scorer in the league (LeBron James), nor is he the assist leader (Chris Paul). However I will concede the fact that he is arguably the most talented player in the NBA. Does this make him the MVP? I sure hope not, or he should have about five or six of them by now.
This brings me to my next point. As Woody Paige put it on Around the Horn yesterday, “This is not the lifetime achievement award.” However, the only reason Kobe won it this year was because he has not won it yet. He has been one of the best players in the league for a while, but that does not mean he nets an obligatory MVP award.
If Not Kobe, Then Who?
In March I gave you Kevin Garnett as the MVP. I stand by the fact that he is a legitimate contender, and definitely deserved the award more than Bryant. Garnett led the Celtics to the best record in the entire league, from a franchise who won 24 last season! He not only changed the record of the team, he transformed an entire culture of basketball that has been plaguing the Celtics for a while. Also, Kevin Garnett was in Minnesota and kept his mouth shut for TEN YEARS while the franchise ruined his prime. Kobe has two playoff seasons, and he would have you think the Lakers had the worst record in the league.
Chris Paul is another legitimate candidate. He changed the face of a franchise, and brought pride to a city that needs any it can get at this point. The Hornets were the best story of the NBA this season, and that is due to Chris Paul maturing into the best point guard in the league.
Either of the two would have been more deserving than Kobe Bryant. Do not even bother making the “best player” argument because honestly it is irrelevant. Gasol was more important to the Lakers’ success anyway.
In Closing
The reason I am so heated about this is because I hate to see awards cheapened by scenarios like this. I get annoyed when Troy Polamalu plays half a season for the Steelers and gets put in the Pro Bowl. Save the award for when he actually deserves it.
The same logic applies to Kobe. He has had a great career, but was he the MVP this season? In my mind, no. However I know that a lot of people might disagree with me, so give me your take in the comments. If Kobe was rightfully awarded the MVP, why? If not Kobe, then who should have received it?
Images obtained from the NBA website.
May 7th, 2008 | 10:31 pm
congrats Kobe, you deserved it.
I think that skill most definitely has to be put in this conversation. If i was starting a team I would take the best basketball player in the league over the best teammate in the league in a heartbeat. You can be a horrible teammate and get your team tons of wins and therefore be the most valuable to the franchise. Gasol definitely helped the lakers, no one can argue that, but that doesnt make him more valuable than Kobe it just helps Kobe. No one would want the Lakers with just Gasol over just Kobe. If you make that argument then Garnett cannot be the MVP because he did not single handedly lift the Celtics. He had Ray Allen AND Paul Pierce AND an ever improving youngster in Rondo. Chris Paul, as you know my thoughts on this, is a legitimate candidate because he did so much for the Hornets. Something i am getting from your post is that you cannot be MVP if there is talent on your team, you have to be the only talent. Its the NBA, the best players (minus when shaun bradley was in the league), everyone has talent on their team, even though some have more than others.
If this is not a “lifetime achievement award” then you bringing up how Garnett was quiet for 10 years is completely irrelevant. also what Kobe did this summer I believe is completely irrelevant because it was THIS SUMMER. What he did during the season can be brought into question tho. this definitely did not help his team, but i think it does not make that big of a difference because everything was fixed and success was achieved. Personally, i think the bad teammate card is a bunch of bull. speaking of the bulls, kobe should be credited for destroying another team that had potential. It only denies future competition in the league.
I hate woody paige.
If i was the best player in the league and I was on a team that was not contributing to me as I was contributing to the team I would be mad too and want to be traded. On the other hand I respect someone who stays with the same team through thick and thin and are loyal (i.e. Lemieux), they are to be respected. However, for me personally, I was loyal to Penns Forest for many years and the team was declining. After years of loyalty to a downward sloping team I left because I was looking out for my future and therefore went to the better team that gave me a better chance to get scene and to enjoy myself and have fun - winning. I hate losing and I dont care what the scenario is…if i’m losing im pissed. Kobe gotta look out for himself and so do the Lakers. That is why they got Gasol to keep Kobe.
I have spoken. Xane don’t even bother.
May 7th, 2008 | 10:34 pm
the nba mvp award has gone to the best player on the best team in the west with the best record for the last 6 or more years. its ridiculous and predictable. it also makes kobe look better than he is. as bomb pointed out, kobe is good, but paul makes them a legit playoff contender. without paul gasol, lakers blow. and yes, i said pal twice instead of pau, just to make justin mad. and the cavs are a pathetic team without lebron.
May 7th, 2008 | 10:37 pm
the cavs are pathetic because cleveland is pathetic. Paul, as in Gasol, is Pippen to Jordan. Not that I am saying Kobe is as good as Jordan, because he is not, but you get the idea.
May 7th, 2008 | 10:40 pm
“Now let’s get this party started!”
May 7th, 2008 | 10:43 pm
if not Kobe, I think the true MVP is Gary Roberts (or Fleury’s girlfriend, a.k.a. McGee to Luke and Staudt if he remembers).
May 7th, 2008 | 11:52 pm
@mark: Lakers before Gasol: Kobe whining, average team. Lakers after Gasol: Kobe “great teammate”, great team.
I am not saying the presence of talent negates an MVP, because both CP3 and KG have a lot of talent around them. I am questioning Kobe being a good teammate on an average team. He is not. If you cannot be a team player through good and bad, you are NOT a team player.
In terms of transforming franchises, the Lakers needed Gasol to turn an already good team into a great one. Chris Paul has turned New Orleans from an absolutely horrible team into a great one. The same can be said of KG, though as you mentioned he did have Allen and Pierce.
Kobe has had better careers than either of those two players, but he simply was not the MVP this season. The award is just cheapened at this point because it clearly was given to him out of respect for his career achievements rather than his achievements this year.
(Also your later comments are the reason a forum was created.)
May 8th, 2008 | 1:04 am
I literally got tears in my eyes reading this article…Tears of anger and fury. I’m seriously so ticked wane right now I don’t even want to write anything. We need to all have a face to face about this. KG is not the fudging MVP. He has the most stacked team in the league. Let’s get that out of the way first. Mark basically pointed everything out that needs to be said. Great comment Mark. You’re the man, with the plan. And the big ween. Lakers, have you know…Were in a very good position in the ever so tight West before Gasol. So it’s not like they were losing without him. They just wanted to be absolutely dominate.
Mark, this is not to make you upset, but only for gaybomb:
“I don’t know anybody who’s ever deserved this trophy more. I don’t know anybody who’s ever worked as hard to accomplish what he’s accomplished,” said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who had five-time MVP Michael Jordan with Chicago and was at the Lakers’ helm when Shaquille O’Neal won the award in 2000.”
Phil Jackson, arguably the greatest NBA coach ever, said Kobe deserved the MVP trophy more than anyone. Jackson coached MICHAEL JORDAN, MVP winner that you hail as the greatest player of all time. So nothing else needs to be said to Justin.
Xane: The east sucks, that’s why they never have any MVP’s. Lebron should have been the second choice though, followed by CP3. KG shouldn’t even be considered.
Justin, KG cried last night when I stole his fake peener. So don’t tell me he doesn’t complain. And, he did complain when he was in Minnesota. He did alot. Every great player wants to win, so it’s only natural. You can’t blame Kobe for wanting to win.
Mark, I thought the exact same thing about kudos to Kobe for destroying the Bulls.
“He’s deserving in this particular season with all of the question marks and everything going on coming into the season and the uncertainty,” teammate Derek Fisher said. “Not only did he statistically have an MVP type of season, everybody can reasonably say they were better this year because of what he did. He met the so-called criteria, elevating his teammates’ games.”
Great quote from Derek Fisher.
Kobe=MVP.
Lebron=MVP as well.
CP3=MVP as well.
KG=Pee Pee.
May 8th, 2008 | 1:05 am
McGee is my MVP. Every night when I’m alone.
May 8th, 2008 | 1:29 am
Ok, if everyone wants to know who I really think the MVP should be, it’s Drew Gooden for having the lions D haircut last year.
May 8th, 2008 | 1:31 am
That last comment is seriously not funny at all. Justin, please delete it. I’d like to apologize to everyone for my attempt at humor. Mark, I let you down. Xane, sleep with me. Buck, you rule Vocollect, Jbomb, you rule Tiz. Tiz, you rule Bounce, Bounce, you rule me. Me, I rule you. Oreo rules everyone though. I don’t know why but I’ve decided to start adding Oreo in my posts.
May 8th, 2008 | 7:55 am
@Justin: I would whine too if I didn’t have a player like Gasol and yes I would stop after receiving him. Again I don’t think that whining disqualifies you from MVP. You can whine and still win and therefore be a success.
I also don’t understand how all the credit for the Celtic’s success this year is automatically given to Garnett. What about Ray Allen? he is phenomenal and was picked up at the same time as Kevin. He put up great numbers, why isn’t their success credited to him?
I think that Phil Jackson was the greatest coach.
Justin knows I completely agree with him on the CP3 issue. Just for the record I like every player that we are arguing over.
I believe that the east does not get the credit in the MVP race because they are clearly inferior. They do have good players, but they don’t have to do as much during the regular season. I agreed with Dirk winning it and I agreed with Nash winning it the first time. Also the times shaq won it he deserved it, unfortunately.
May 8th, 2008 | 9:14 am
“I’m seriously so ticked wane right now I don’t even want to write anything”
This preceding how much Luke wrote is seriously hilarious.
May 11th, 2008 | 1:46 am
LeBron is the MVP. Go Cavs!
May 12th, 2008 | 6:26 pm
@Luke: Kobe might have won the MVP this year, but Jordan won FIVE. Even if Kobe won ten more MVPs he would not be close to the player Jordan was…the greatest ever.
@bounce: I see you and Inxane are rooting for Cleveland. I thought the Steelers/Browns rivlary taught you better.
May 13th, 2008 | 12:31 pm
I think we can all agree that Jordan was overrated.
May 13th, 2008 | 12:32 pm
I too am rooting for Cleveland, despite my hatred for Lebron…But I would rather see them win than the overrated band wagon Celtics.
May 13th, 2008 | 5:01 pm
i agree with justin on the fact that the steelers/browns rivalry should sway opinions. i also agree with luke that the celtics are overrated and bandwagon central. i disagree with justin because if kobe won a total of 11 mvps he would be better than jordan. i disagree with luke because i don’t like guys.
May 13th, 2008 | 5:06 pm
Mark thinks he’s a big shot cause he likes girls. Me love you long time.
May 13th, 2008 | 5:09 pm
luke thinks he’s a big shot because he likes big league chew.
May 14th, 2008 | 1:07 am
Mark thinks he’s a big chew because he’s a league shot big.
May 14th, 2008 | 7:51 am
lukes an idiot.
May 15th, 2008 | 12:08 am
I’m seriously gonna pull Mark’s thong over his head.