Who would you have given the '88 MVP to?

[godofgods]

Jordan should have won it.

Though on another note, I hope this educates fans that Bird was better than Magic. I'm tired of seeing Magic placed above Birds on all time lists when it's hardly the truth.

Magic played for the Lakers that's why he was overrated.

Magic is not better than Bird.

[AlphaWolf]

Magic played for the Lakers that's why he was overrated.

Magic is not better than Bird.

IMO he is.....Both are better then Jordan.

[Fatal9]

First of all, the Bulls won 50 games....it wasn't like they were some sort of crappy 42 win team....

50 wins is still crap by MVP award status. Only Moses Malone has won with fewer wins in the last 30 years. Bird put up 30/9/6 on insane efficiency on the best team in the conference. Hakeem and Bird both got robbed that year. No one is denying MJ had a great individual season, but that's not what the MVP award recognizes (top 2 or so team in the conference at the very least usually, but the Bulls weren't close). Bird took the last games of the season off, while Bulls were fighting for the 4th seed and it seems Bird got penalized because Boston lost those games. Regardless, an almost unreal precedence was set when they gave Jordan the award. A more appropriate year for his first MVP would have been 1990.

[nnn123]

50 wins is still crap by MVP award status. Only Moses Malone has won with fewer wins in the last 30 years. Bird put up 30/9/6 on insane efficiency on the best team in the conference. Hakeem and Bird both got robbed that year. No one is denying MJ had a great individual season, but that's not what the MVP award recognizes (top 2 or so team in the conference at the very least usually, but the Bulls weren't close). Bird took the last games of the season off, while Bulls were fighting for the 4th seed and it seems Bird got penalized because Boston lost those games. Regardless, an almost unreal precedence was set when they gave Jordan the award. A more appropriate year for his first MVP would have been 1990.

Here's a couple of people who won MVP before Jordan (didn't bother to look before 1976):

1976 - Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Team record): 40-42
1977 - Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Team record): 53-29
1979 - Moses Malone (Team record): 47-35
1982 - Moses Malone (Team record): 46-36

So, no, an "almost unreal precedence" was not given to Jordan when he won the award, it has happened before. The fact is, the team still won 50 games, which is usually enough for serious MVP contention. Bird put up 30/9/6 on unreal efficiency on a 57 win team, MJ put up 35/6/6 on equally unreal efficiency on a 50 win team, while playing world-class defense, perhaps the best in the league (whether you like it or not). Maybe this was just one of those dominating seasons that people couldn't ignore? I agree that it could have gone both ways, I am in no way suggesting that there is no argument for Bird...I'm just saying in no way did Bird get "robbed". It was an absolutely brilliant season by Jordan, well deserved.

[NBASTATMAN]

MJ had the best PER ever that year... Bird's PER doesn't even compare that year.. Neither does Hakeem... Forget what other jokesters write and go with the facts..... MJ led the league in OFFENSIVE WIN SHARES, WIN SHARES AND PER... This isn't even a argument... Hakeem had a better Defensive Win Shares but not by much.... MJ is the man... Just live with it...

[chocolatethunder]

That was a joke genius. Unlike the rest of you clowns I was actually alive and in high school in '88.