What has long been considered to be a foregone conclusion has now been confirmed by multiple outlets. LeBron James has been awarded the league’s Most Valuable Player award for the 2013 season, and will be presented the trophy in a press conference in Miami this Sunday.
The Heat open the second round of the playoffs against either the Bulls or the Nets at home on Monday, when David Stern is expected to be on hand to deliver the trophy to James in front of his home crowd.
James joins an elite group by winning the award for the fourth time. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (6), Michael Jordan (5), Bill Russell (5) and Wilt Chamberlain (4) have done the same in NBA history.
There have been plenty of years in recent memory where both fans and pundits have had zesty debates over what the MVP award should signify, and who should take it home in any given season. This year was not one of them.
While the names of Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul were mentioned in the MVP conversation at various points throughout the season, you’d have been hard-pressed to find anyone who truly believed it should have gone to anyone but James.
There has never been a unanimous MVP in the history of the NBA, so there’s at least a little suspense to be had in advance of the official release from the league this weekend to see if James can become the first.
James averaged 26.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.7 steals in 37.9 minutes per game this season. His field goal percentage (56.5) and three-point shooting percentage (40.6) were both career bests.
Should the Heat finish the year by winning their second straight title, James would join an even smaller group of greats. Only Jordan and Russell in league history have won MVP awards and championships in two consecutive seasons.
