Stephen Curry deserved to win the MVP this season. He was the best player on a Warriors team that put up a league-best 67 wins during the regular season, and more often than not, that’s how the award is decided.
James Harden had a season worthy of MVP consideration, too, so he came in second.
And the guy that most believe is the best player in the game today? LeBron James came away with the third-place finish.
After another stellar performance where he finished with 40 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and four steals while playing 46 of the game’s 48 minutes to put the Cavaliers up two games to one in the NBA Finals, LeBron admitted to being upset by where he ultimately landed in the MVP race.
“Every day I step out on the basketball floor, D-Wade, you know me, I want to be the MVP,” James said, in a conversation with Dwyane Wade that aired on ESPN. “For my teammates, for whoever is looking to me as a leader. I can’t say that I wasn’t upset finishing third, because I know what I bring to the table. I know how much I work -- on my craft, and every single night.
“I can’t say I was happy about finishing third, but I didn’t need that extra motivation.”
LeBron has something motivating him that’s allowed him to play at a level that even those closest to him have never seen. As for the MVP, some of that is voter fatigue, because it gets old recognizing the same player for his greatness year after year, and sometimes the voters look to find a reason why others are more deserving.
But as we’re seeing in these Finals, the real MVP (as Kevin Durant might say) is LeBron, unquestionably so.
