Why regular season MVPs are the most coveted award in NBA history

[tpols]

Nash actually deserves his MVPs. He was the engine of a dominant suns team, one of the best offenses of all time. And its not like they flopped in the playoffs. They were one horrible call from winning in 07 and Nash used to lose to Duncan manu parker spurs and Kobe pau Lakers so he was slightly losing to other all time greats.

It was Iverson, rose and Westbrook that diminished its value. Those were media storyline picks.

[HunterSThompson]

That doesn't explain why the media changed the award criteria, either in general or per your argument, to shut Kobe out of the award.

kobes rape trial and shaq break up was still fresh. so was the Phil book. they hated Kobe. by 2008 they wanted lebron to get it but he had a down year. they just didn't have any other options other than Chris paul and kobe beat him in every prerequisite except the make others better thing but I remember even that year the media pushed some phoney bullsh8t story about how kobe suddenly was making others better. like they were forgiving him for all his past shit. because they knew they had been tough on him. but by then it was too late cause lebron was about to take over as the face of the league so they knew it would be kobes last chance to get an award before the end of his prime. so they gave him a pity award to absolve themselves of robbing him in 06 and 07 and possibly 03. and for 2009 and 2013 when he could have been argued for another 2 it was already lebrons league by then.

the media knew if they never gave him at least 1 award then they would lose all credibility

it was to.cover up their bias. period

[Phoenix]

kobes rape trial and shaq break up was still fresh.

Asked that question knowing exactly where you were going, and that's the only part of your post I bothered to seriously read and will quote. First, the rape thing occurred in the summer of 2003, so that has no bearing on Kobe having better seasons in 2001 coupled with the fact that Shaq was there alongside him dropping 28/11. 2003, Duncan is dropping 23/13/4/3, the Spurs win 60 games with his supporting cast being baby Parker/Ginobli and the corpse of David Robinson. Duncan was a legit MVP pick that year, and that was re-enforced in the playoffs.

2006 and 2007, Kobe individually probably was the best player but the media wasn't going to award MVP to the leader of a lower seed team. 2013, Lebron had clearly surpassed Kobe as an individual player AND led the Heat to 66 wins. And by that point in time, any 'media bias' against Kobe lingering from the rape wouldn't have been a thing anyways because he had won the award 5 years earlier.

[Airupthere]

The biggest eyesore for me is westbrook being on the list.

[HunterSThompson]

Asked that question knowing exactly where you were going, and that's the only part of your post I bothered to seriously read and will quote. First, the rape thing occurred in the summer of 2003, so that has no bearing on Kobe having better seasons in 2001 coupled with the fact that Shaq was there alongside him dropping 28/11. 2003, Duncan is dropping 23/13/4/3, the Spurs win 60 games with his supporting cast being baby Parker/Ginobli and the corpse of David Robinson. Duncan was a legit MVP pick that year, and that was re-enforced in the playoffs.

2006 and 2007, Kobe individually probably was the best player but the media wasn't going to award MVP to the leader of a lower seed team. 2013, Lebron had clearly surpassed Kobe as an individual player AND led the Heat to 66 wins. And by that point in time, any 'media bias' against Kobe lingering from the rape wouldn't have been a thing anyways because he had won the award 5 years earlier.

the narrative prior to the rape thing was "kobe has shaq"

but plenty of guys have won mvp while having another all time great player beside them like magic or kareem or bird or malone or lebron


and the "next MJ" thing also rubbed some voters the wrong way too.

the rape trial just sent them into overdrive on the hatred. hence the 8 voters leaving kobe off their ballot all together in 2006

[hateraid]

Awards are subjective. MVP is a popularity contest. I look at eye test and impact.