MVP as LAA

Much ado about this topic has been bandied about over the past few days/weeks: on one side people argue that the MVP must in no way acknowledge a players life history, on the other side people agree with this and then do it anyway. Well I am here to take the opposite tack, just embrace the premise that the MVP will inevitably be a lifetime achievement award and then go from there.
This year’s award can easily and by all criteria be narrowed to 4 players: KBB, LBJ, CP3 and KG. From there I’m going to look at each players qualification for the MVP(LAA).

Kobe- Mamba or Leopard, falling from trees or attacking from the ground, Kobe stands out as the player who has honed his game to the finest edge over his career. In conventional terms he ought to garner the award: three rings, two scoring titles, 5 first team all defense. But through his career he has never been that outstanding player on his team that could will a victory over the course of an NBA playoff series. This may be the year, but with the midseason addition of Pau, it’s difficult to tell who’s making who better.



Chris Paul- Well, I might as well tell you right now that the MVP(LAA) is not limited by short NBA careers, and I’ll take the liberty to project lifetimes based moments. The conjuring of spirits and the mastery of alchemy propels CP3 candidacy to the fore; he brings together the alpha and the omega of NBA PG prowess, the improvisational scoring of AI with the wily machinations of Nash. His fourth quarter drive in game II of SA-NOLA, where he drove left, hard dribble over Ginobili, two steps under Duncan and high off the glass falling away to the right was the perfect example of the institutional playground style that really makes CP3 a valid MVP(LAA)

LBJ- After about a decade of talk about the next MJ LBJ may be the answer to the question. From his bland corporate persona to domination of a single aspect of the game (MJ's competitive desire, as much of a cop out as that is*) accompanied by high proficiency in every other aspect of the game, Lebron’s crowning achievement may be his ascendance to the throne. But more: Shaq has (had) crowed endlessly about being the MDP, but, with all due respect to Dwight Howard, Lebron is now the running away winner of MDP (AS A SG/F!), to be as physically dominant in the open court as Shaq was in the post, if for 5 games let alone 3 seasons, is enough for the MVP(LAA).

KG- What is there to say? KG’s claim the award is that he is, far and away, without a doubt, the greatest role player in NBA history. And that’s not intended to be a slight. I mean, you ask someone who the greatest one man show in NBA history and you’ll get a plethora of possibilities as a reply, but the greatest addition to a team you could ask for?: KG, KG, KG.

So the winner? Well, that’s really for you to decide but it may be a tie breaker that CP3 is the only one of this group who made it through a year of College.

[*Much has been made about this Jordan mythology, but let me put it this way: They say that CDR from Memphis has never lost a game of one-on-one, and I think his style refects as much. MJ is the younger brother to CDRs perfected old brother stylings, losing time and again, beating the shit out of himself about it, and then rising above and through the ceiling on the sheer hatred of losing over and over again.]