Despite Great Year, Kobe Bryant Not Getting MVP Attention

Due to a tireless work ethic and fierce desire to be the best to have ever played the game of basketball, Kobe Bryant has cemented his place in history with the game’s best. Where he sits amongst the greatest of all time is arguable, but not the fact that he belongs alongside of them. You’ll marvel at the long list of accomplishments that range from Slam Dunk Champion, to 2 time Finals MVP. However, there is one accolade that stands out on that long list like Earl Boykin’s stature on an NBA court:

NBA regular season MVP: 1

In an illustrious 15 year career which include 5 NBA championships, 13 straight All Star Games, being named twelve times to the All NBA team and ten times to the All Defensive team, the committee that hands down the most prestigious of all individual awards has decided that Kobe Bryant has been the most valuable to a team on only one occasion.

As difficult as it is to believe that there has been a player more valuable than Kobe in every season in his career but one despite being one of the greatest of all time, is that he is still being overlooked and undervalued today.

A look at Kobe’s production this year you will see that he is right at his career averages across the board despite a 5 minute drop in minutes played per game from the previous season. The Lakers currently have the 5^th best record in the NBA and on pace to win 58 games which is one more than last year’s championship season. In case anybody forgot about how great Kobe has been in his career he has had a chance to remind everyone as he has passed 6 Hall of Famers on the all time scoring list this season landing him at 6^th overall. Despite all of this, the overwhelming majority of those in the media that provide projections or rankings for assessing the most worthy for the NBA MVP this season barely bother to mention him. The following is what some of them think of Kobe as an MVP:

Writer                     Source                    Where they rank Kobe

Steve Aschburner   NBA.com                           6^th

Tommy Beer           Hoopsworld.com               5^th

Maurice Brooks      ESPN.com                          5^th

Kobe actually dropped 2 spots from 4^th to 6^th in Steve Aschburners’ Race to the MVP rankings in a week where the Lakers were undefeated.

Kobe being overlooked for the MVP despite his great efforts has happened before; we look back at two of the most blatant examples.

Next: Best overall season of Kobe’s career

2002-2003 Season

The Lakers are coming off a third straight championship and set to make a run at their fourth. The season gets off of to a disappointing start with Shaq missing the first 12 games due to off-season toe surgery. This provides Kobe an opportunity early on to take control of the team without Shaq in the line up. Things don’t start off to well for both Kobe and the Lakers as they get off to a poor start which has them at one point 8 games under .500. It is not until February 6^th, 2003 that the Lakers get over the .500 mark for the first time in the season. It is at this exact point in the season that it becomes apparent of Kobe’s desire to take over the leading role on the team and attempts to carry the Lakers back to upper ranks of the Western conference. Kobe goes on a string of 9 straight games of 40 or more points and 13 games of 35 points or more; in this month of February Kobe becomes only the third player in history to average at least 40 points per game in a  month.

Here are the highlights of Kobe’s 2002-2003 season:

9 consecutive 40+ point games; 4^th longest streak of its kind and joins Michael Jordon and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to have had such a streak.

13 consecutive 35+ point games; 4^th longest streak of at least 35 points.

Set an NBA record 12 three pointers in one game. (record stands today)

Scored a season high 55 points against Michael Jordon and his Washington Wizards.

Averaged 40.6 points per game in a month; only third player in history to average 40 ppg in one month.

Career highs in rebounds (6.9), assist (5.9), steals (2.2) and 3pt% (38.3); these remain career highs to this day.

Averaged 30.0 points per game; reaches the 30 ppg mark for 1^st time in career.

Kobe’s historic offensive run catapulted a Laker team that was uninspired and had been ineffective up to that point. Starting from the beginning of Kobe’s 40 point streak the Lakers finished out the season smoking hot at 28-9. However, due to the incredibly slow start the Lakers were only able to earn the 5^th spot in the West and eventually lost to the Spurs in the 2^nd round of the playoffs.

2002-2003 MVP Voting:

Player, Team                           (1^st place votes) Total points

Tim Duncan, San Antonio,        (60) 962

Kevin Garnett, Minnesota,         (43) 871

Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers,         (8) 496

Tracy McGrady, Orlando,          (4) 427

Statistics:

Kevin Garnett:  23.0 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 6.0 apg, 1.6 bpg, Minnesota record 51-31

Tim Duncan:     23.3 ppg, 12.9 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.9 bpg, San Antonio record 60-22

Kobe Bryant:    30.0 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 5.9 apg, 2.2 spg, L.A. Lakers record 50-32

In what was possibly the finest all around individual season of Kobe’s career to date and without question the best up to that point only 8 of the 119 of the media panel thought he was worthy of a 1^st place MVP vote. Despite Kobe’s prolific offensive numbers which nobody in the NBA had seen outside of Michael Jordon or Wilt Chamberlain Kobe finished a distant 3^rd.

The Lakers disappointing team record and that fact that Kobe played along side another dominant player in Shaq had a significant effect on the voters. What was conveniently missed is that the Lakers roster outside of Shaq had aged quickly and no longer productive. Shaq missed significant time in this season and contributed to the slow start. The voters ignored that the Lakers played at a 75% winning percentage in the last third of the season due to Kobe’s astonishing offensive explosion. The shameful response of the voters was not deserved and not in any way representative of Kobe’s amazing season.

Next: 81 points not enough

2005-2006 season

In the second post-Shaq season, Kobe and the Lakers continue their quest to return to prominence. At this point in their path Kobe plays along side the likes of Smush Parker, Luke Walton and newly acquired Kwame Brown in the starting line up. It is no wonder with a line up lacking legitimate NBA talent that Kobe takes it upon himself to attempt to carry the team to the playoffs which he miraculously does. From the outset of the season Kobe puts his foot on the pedal and never relents. Kobe’s registers 27 games of 40 points or more and an astonishing 6 games of 50 or more. In this season, Kobe puts together one of the greatest offensive performances in NBA history by scoring 81 points against the Toronto Raptors on January 7^th, 2006.

Kobe somehow willed a very weak supporting cast to the 6^th best record in the West and a playoff berth.

Highlights of the 2005-2006 season:

81 point game against Toronto; 2^nd highest point total for a single game in NBA history.

Scored 62 points in only 3 quarters against the Dallas Mavericks; did not play in the 4^th.

4 straight games of scoring 45 or more points; joins only Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor as only player with such a a streak.

35.4 point per game average; the 8^th highest in NBA history.

2005-2006 MVP Voting:

Player, Team                           (1^st place votes) Total points

Steve Nash, Phoenix                    (57) 924

LeBron James, Cleveland             (16) 688

Dirk Nowitski, Dallas                   (14) 544

Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers            (22) 483

Statistics:

Steve Nash:       18.8 ppg, 10.5 apg, 51.2 FG%, 43.9 3pt%,  Phoenix record 54-28

LeBron James:   31.4 ppg, 7 rpg, 6.6 apg, 1.6 spg, Cleveland record 50-32

Dirk Nowitski:  26.6 ppg, 9 rpg, 2.8 apg, 48 FG%, Dallas record 60-32

Kobe Bryant:    35.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.8 spg, L.A. Lakers record 45-37

Kobe again got absolutely no respect or serious consideration from the panel of MVP voters who apparently were not impressed by the historic feats accomplished this season. The voters selected Nash as their MVP for the 2^nd straight season based mainly on the fact that Suns were able to put together a 54 win season despite losing Amare Stoudemire to a season ending injury 3 games into the season.

What the voters did not pay much attention to was that Kobe carried a team to the playoffs with a  supporting cast that was not only significantly worse than the teams of the other MVP candidates, but quite possibly the worse collection of players ever to have qualifed for the playoffs. This year’s  inexplicable 4^th place finish combined with the history of poor response from the MVP voters affirmed just how Kobe has been tremendously undervalued and plainly overlooked.

Next: How he stacks up to this year’s MVP candidates

While there have been some great seasons that Kobe has put together where you could have definitely made a case for him winning the MVP award and definitely deserved a better voter response, I don’t believe Kobe was slightly to the point of complete vomit inducing outrage. I am more of the belief that Kobe has just been a victim of circumstance.

In the first 8 years of his career he enjoyed team success but played along side another dominant player in Shaquille O’ Neal who took some of his MVP votes and drowned out his impact on the team.

Kobe’s greatest statistical years came when his teams were middle of the pack or not quite the upper echelon of the NBA. In the history of the NBA MVP award, team success is vital.

I also believe that if Kobe had been more likable and placated to the media early in his career the voters/media would have been more forgiving as far as thier MVP criteria is concerned. Kobe has put together some incredible seasons where he achieved feats never seen before, not seen in a long time or attained by a very select and elite few. In the two seasons that I pointed out earlier, he was given very little consideration which I think is a travesty.

There is no doubt in my mind that his trophy case would be filled with one to two more MVP awards today if Kobe had been more “one of the guys” like a Michael Jordon or Shaquille O’ Neal.

Whether its Kobe having been undervalued, ignored or there just being complete disdain by the media, based on the consensus of the media in regards to the current leader for this year’s NBA MVP, it appears that whatever it is, it still exists.

Kobe’s production is on par if not better than the current MVP candidates.

The Lakers are on a pace to win as many games or more than the other MVP hopefuls.

Kobe is the unquestioned leader and #1 option on his team.

The supporting cast still only has one All Star and a collection of players that have been most successful only playing along side Kobe.

Yet the response for Kobe this year has been lukewarm.

It just seems that we have become so accustomed to the greatness that Kobe brings on a night to night basis after so many years that we have become desensitized.

It can also be that MVP voters that have long ignored Kobe during some of his unbelievable seasons would appear foolish now to award him during years that aren’t near that level.

This is not a case for Kobe being the MVP but rather a case for having him garner the attention that someone with his accomplishments and legendary status deserves. I’m asking that he be afforded the same type of respect that was provided to another legend, Karl Malone, when he won his MVP award in 1999 over 2^nd year forward Tim Duncan despite Duncan having better overall numbers and equal team success. The voters at that time decided to give the edge to the player who had been in the league for 14 years at that time and already established himself as one the game’s best.

There are around 20 games remaining in the season and the Lakers are currently in striking distance for a top 3 record in the NBA. In that time the Lakers have 7 national games and some marquee match ups against San Antonio, Miami and two against Dallas. The stage is set for Kobe to do what he has been doing all year and for his entire career and that’s being dependable, a leader and willing his team and himself to victories no matter the obstacles.  I really hope that those in the media who are provided with the great responsibility and honor of handing down the most prestigious individual award are paying attention this time around. A legend of the game who is nearing the twilight of his career deserves at least that.