The definition of the Most Valuable Player award is, simply put, if you were to remove that player from the team, how would that team play? Well, if you were to remove Kobe Bryant from the Los Angeles Lakers, they would undoubtedly drop out of first place in their division and probably not make the playoffs. Now if you were to do the same thing with LeBron James the Cleveland Cavaliers would also fall out of playoff contention. So, who should be NBA’s 2008 MVP, Kobe or LeBron? Let’s look at the stat sheet.
We’ll start with LeBron. He’s averaging 30.6 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, 7.6 assists per game, 2 steals, 1 blocked shot and 40.6 minutes per game.
Kobe is averaging 28.3 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, 5.3 assists per game, 2 steals, .5 blocked shot and 38.4 minutes per game.
LeBron’s numbers are better in the most prominent statistical categories. So should he be crowned the most valuable player? I don’t think so.
Under LeBron’s leadership, the Cavaliers are 35-26 and will definitely make the playoffs, most likely as a number four seed. The Cavs are second in their division trailing Detroit and have a division record of 5-3. The Cavaliers play in a weak Eastern Conference and have a conference record of 19-14. If LeBron is the MVP that many are speculating him to be, why are the Cavs not at the top of their division?
Under Kobe’s leadership, the Lakers have the league’s best record at 43-18 and are headed for the no.1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Lakers are in first place in a division that consists of a playoff-bound Phoenix, 40-21 and an eighth-seed-bubble team, Golden State, 37-23, that upset no.1 ranked Dallas in last year’s postseason. The Lakers have a division record of 7-2.
So, I ask again, who should be the NBA’s 2008 MVP? Well, it’s definitely not an easy decision, more of a Gore v. Bush decision that is too close to call, but I’d have to give the prestigious award to Kobe Bryant with a potential recount in the near future.
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