Yesterday’s leak that Steve Nash had won the NBA’s MVP Award for the second season running had more than a few Kobe Bryant acolytes crying foul. The brutal posterizing of Nash aside, the LA Times’ J.J. Adande testifies that Bryant’s unselfish side was the key to the Lakers’ Game 2 victory.
Bryant had all the necessary supplies to go into a me-against-the-world mode if he chose. A local newspaper here cited an NBA source saying Steve Nash won the most valuable player award. A poll of league GMs reached the same conclusion. Other L.A. and national outlets reported Bryant would switch from No. 8 to No. 24 next season, which agitated Bryant because he didn’t want the news to get out yet.
But Bryant didn’t come out to dunk on every Sun or silence the fans in US Airways Center. His response was to thread a bounce pass to a cutting Luke Walton, to find an open Sasha Vujacic on the other side of the court or to snatch a defensive rebound.
Bryant out-Nashed Nash. Would anyone have predicted that Nash would have more points and Bryant more assists at halftime?
Also, the Lakers did a better job of playing without their superstar. Nash sat out for most of a 7 1/2 -minute scoreless stretch in the first half. But when Bryant went to the bench with his third foul and three minutes left in the second quarter, the Lakers actually increased their lead.
On the MVP debate, True Hoop’s Henry Abbot opines,
If Nash and Bryant switched places, Bryant would no doubt to spectacular things in Phoenix. But Nash would still be winning titles with Shaquille O’Neal, because he knows how to be a good teammate.
It’s a disgrace that Kobe didn’t win. Steve Nash is not even in Kobe’s league,
not to mention the fact that he looks like a wet rat scrambling around on
the court. There should be an uprising and major protest against this MVP
choice. IT WAS PLAIN OUT A SUPER INJUSTICE AND THE ABSOLUTE WRONG
CHOICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If Kobe continues to (finally) play with the idea of passing the ball when he is double – teamed, they will not be able to beat anyone unless they play something they seem to hate, and that is Defense!!!
Fact is, some say that the MVP is suppose to make the rest of his team mates better. Hmm. All I have to say is look at Kwame now. No one has heard of Smush until he came to LA. Cook has become possibly the best 3 point shooter on the team. Without Kobe in the last game, the Laker lead was extended. Without Nash, the Suns lost more.
For others, the MVP is for the best all round player in the league and has made the most impact. Ok. . . . 60 plus points in three quaters. Breaking 80 points in 4. Pound for pound, Kobe is the best all around player on the planet. He put a young team on his back that was in last place at one point this season, and now they are giving the number two team on the west something serious to worry about. When was the last time a number 7 seed took out a number 2 team in the play-offs? Recognize, either love him or hate him – there is no in between, but there is NO ONE accomplishing what Kobe accomplished.
Deon,
since you asked, here are the last 4 times a 7 seed eliminated a no. 2 in the first round :
New York def. Miami, 3-2, 1998 Eastern Conference first round
Golden State def. San Antonio, 3-1, 1991 Western Conference first round
Golden State def. Utah, 3-0, 1989 Western Conference first round
Seattle def. Dallas, 3-1, 1987 Western Conference first round
in addition, here are two other contemporary first round upsets :
New York def. Miami, 3-2, 1999 Eastern Conference first round
Denver def. Seattle, 3-2, 1994 Eastern Conference first round
I can certainly appreciate the logic of measuring MVP status by how well a team performs without the candidate in question on the floor. Going by your criteria, the real 2005-06 MVP oughta be Amare Stoudemire.
Nash who’s he There’s Gotta be a Mistake,There’s just noway Nash Should get an MVP over Kobe.