Thursday, April 19th, 2012 at 9:40 am  |  78 responses

‘It Would Mean a Lot’ for LeBron James to Win His Third MVP


LeBron James, the leading candidate to take home the game’s highest individual honor for the third time in his 9-year career, doesn’t hide his desire and reverence for the award. From ESPN: “If he wins, he would be just the eighth player in history to win it three times. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the only player to win three at a younger age than James, who turned 27 in December. ‘It would mean a lot, honestly, it would mean a lot,’ James said. ‘If I’m able to win it this year it would be very humbling knowing the caliber of guys who have won it three times. I remember me being a little, scrawny guy from Akron, Ohio, and watching so many greats either watching live or watching games, knowing and loving the history of the game and seeing the guys who have paved the way for myself. I’ve always respected that. I’ve always respected the talent that came before me.’ [...] James’ case is reasonably strong. He’s averaging 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. He’s also posting career highs in shooting, 3-point shooting and rebounding. The Heat are performing at a slightly higher pace than they did last year in terms of winning percentage. And the team is 11-1 when James plays and Dwyane Wade does not. [...] ‘It would be gratifying to know that just one year removed from what I came from,’ James said. ‘I’m just back to playing the way I play the game, with a lot of fun and a lot of joy and just not proving anything to anyone. Last year I felt I had to prove something to people. I have no idea why. But I got to that point and it took me away from why I love the game so much and I why I love the NBA. I got away from that. This year I got back to my seven years in Cleveland, my four years in high school and when I first picked up a basketball at age 9. That’s why I’m more excited about where I’m at today.’”

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , ,

← Older Comments
  • Da-Meat-Hook

    nbk, I agree with your ranking. All three can do an admirable job guarding 1-4 but Rodman’s ability to do a serviceable job on ELITE 5s(i.e. young Shaq and in-prime Ewing) is what does it for me.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Jordan was the NBA’s version of Deion Sanders.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Well with Rodman he never guarded 1-4 at the same time.
    He guarded threes, some twos and some fours as a small in Detroit. Then guarded 4 and 5s later in his career.
    The one thing LeBron does that other cats don’t do is guard 1-4 on a regular basis. At the same point in his career. Neither of the other two did that.
    But, I would still rank them as OVERALL defenders Pippen, Rodman, Bron.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Garnett and Duncan were not as prolific as Kobe offensively and it is much easier from an, effort exerted point of view, to play post defense than try to stop a perimeter player from going where he wants.
    Sidney was not the defender nor anywhere close to the offensive talent Kobe is.
    Phil Jackson was the one who made the call to have Kobe not be a defensive stopper. You bring up Jordan and Bron. Both of them are better athletes and physical players than Kobe. That’s admitted. They are stronger, faster, thus better.

  • http://Slamonline.com nbk

    Playing defense in the post is much more exhausting then the perimeter. Especially for Garnett who was tasked with guarding the entire paint an the best post player. The physical punishment takes more out of you then chasing a perimeter player. Come on. Offensively is where Garnett and Duncan spent less time.

  • Da-Meat-Hook

    Allenp, this is true but I also think playing on those “Bad Boys” squads made defending 1-5 unrealistic because they had so many great defenders at various positions. It’s a tough call between Rodman and Pippen, but I think LBJ has a chance to leapfrog both when it’s all said and done.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Disagree. I have spent equal amounts of time on the post and the perimeter. It’s much harder chasing around and stopping perimeter guys(in the lower circuits).

  • http://www.examiner.com/minnesota-timberwolves-in-minneapolis/smith-signing-scandal-crippled-timberwolves nbk

    So you have equally played post defense in a real competitive basketball environment as you have on the perimeter? Or you mean just in general?

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    I typed out a long respnse about Duncan and Garnett then I read what you wrote about Montcrief.
    That was sad.
    Montcrief was considered a better defender than Jordan in their primes.
    Just sad.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    I have. I’m not sure how the NBA differs. I know guys are bigger and stronger, but so are the defenders so I would have to imagine it’s similar on the scale. Garnett definitely did more than his fair share defensively. He was perimeter and post based so I get how his “post defense” took more energy, but in general post defense in the NBA is easier than perimeter defense imo.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Pull Moncrief’s numbers. Before he blew his knee out in the dark ages of medicine his career arc was better than Kobe’s AND he was the very first defensive player of the year.
    You should have just said you didn’t know that much about Moncrief.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, Jordan and Hakeem are probably the four best two-way players in NBA history. Maybe you add Wilt and Kareem, but since I didn’t watch them I can’t really say for sure.
    Kobe isn’t even in that conversation man.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Unless you’ve had a 250 pound man bang into you at full speed, you don’t understand what post defense in the NBA is like
    A constant battle for position, there is almost no rest. You think guarding Shaq is easier than guarding Kobe?
    Hell no. Absolutely not.
    Guarding Hakeem versus guarding Drexler?

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    I don’t at all believe you. Guarding the post is absolutely exhausting. Especially when you consider battling on the boards. I have never met/talked to a single person on a competitive basketball team who prefers playing defense in the post over the perimeter. And the reason is always because of how exhausting and physically demanding defending the post is. So I’m sorry but I unequivocally disagree and don’t believe you about your experience at all. Not really trying to start a big ol thing, just saying.

  • bike

    LeBron is, right now, third in the league in steals (1.9/game) and averages 8 rebounds/game. Those stats alone make him an elite defensive player.

  • bike

    Guarding the perimeter involves more lateral movement and running than guarding the post. But a perimeter player can get a bit of a break when the offensive player doesn’t have the ball. Post defenders get no rest at all since they are constantly using the lower body for positioning and they are expected to rebound.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Allen, Perimeter players are 250 pound muscled freaks theses days. “Post players” are David Lee, and Pau Gasol. Pretty sure it’s harder to stop Bron from getting into the lane than Pau Gasol from banging you down low on the block.
    I don’t know much about Sidney Moncrief. I knew he was considered to be one of the better perimeter defenders, so I spoke with loose knowledge. My bad, but he was no where in the stratosphere of Kobe offensively so it’s still not a good debate.
    If your going to say Hakeem vs Drexler that’s stupid. It should be Hakeem or Jordan? I’ll guard Hakeem if I have equal size.
    nbk, multiply everything you just said by ZERO. That’s how many f*ck’s I give that you don’t believe I have played both post and perimeter equally. When your 6’4″ playing in the single A league in high school your a big. But I prefer the perimeter. Thus equal times on both parts of the floor. I’m not just a shooter or something lame like that.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Lol so you only guarded smaller players? That’s what your saying? Ofcourse assuming what you just said is true, the perimeter would be more exhausting for you. Did you ever play against competition where you weren’t bigger then almost everyone else? Like college? What you just said makes me think of what would be more tiring for my dad when i was 12. Ofcourse he would rather me try and post him up then try and run around him, i was not comparable physically. Think about if you would rather guard Shaq, Dwight, Marc Gasol, or any Center in the NBA or try and chase around Richard Hamilton. Which do you think would take a bigger physical toll on your body? Being beat up constantly, or doing condiditoning?

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    Think about an MMA fighter and their training compared to how exhausted they get during 3 – 5 minute rounds of fighting….

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Whoooa whooa whooa whooaa…. Would ‘I’ want to guard Shaq or Rip Hamilton?? Ummm let me think here for a sec. I’m 6’4″. Rip is 6’5″. Shaq is 7’1″ 300+… Hmmm… Tuffy…. Hmmm…
    Now if ‘I’ am Ben Wallace, I want to guard Shaq over Rip. That was strange that you did not understand what was weird about asking someone half the size of another man if he wants to guard him or a guy of his size.
    From what I have gathered you are a shooter and that’s about it. So you would know absolutely nothing about guarding the post. My most difficult post assignments were a 6’6″ Center from North Sound Christian in Mount Lake Terrace. 2nd was a 6’2″ 250 pound Native dude from Tulalip Heritage. Those were the “big” guys in my League. There surprisingly was no Shaq’s… Shocker I know.
    If you could guard a 5’10″ guy on the perimeter or the post what would be your choice? I don’t care to hear your answer. I’m just saying that’s a better question.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    The perimeter. I would always choose guarding the perimeter. Because it’s less physically demanding. You get more rests. You don’t expend as much energy. 6’2″ 250 points was the second most difficult post assignment you ever faced? LMAO – like I said, I don’t believe you know what your talking about at all.
    . You know I love shooting. That’s all you know about me, if you take that as, that’s all i do then that’s fine. I don’t really care. My analogy about Shaq/Dwight/Gasol v Rip was just an extreme example to make the answer obvious. I wasn’t asking who you would match up better with.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Umm. Have you ever heard of Charles Barkley? He ran about 6’4″ 250. That Indian was crazy good. I’m definitely done talking to you though. For some reason you felt it was a good idea to turn a defensive debate into a personal credential attack. It’s obvious you haven’t guarded the post. As the french say. F*ck you.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    LOL I didn’t bring up personal credentials to try and justify my point baby girl. You bring up a subject then get all sensitive when it’s addressed. But that’s fine, you still don’t know what your talking about. Angry or not.

  • http://slamonline.com nbk

    And honestly, what is more exhausting is based off of your physical capabilities as much as anything. Clearly you weren’t in good enough shape to follow a player around on the perimeter and were better suited to play the guys in your league/division/state down low then on the perimeter. The point remains, you are more active, and constantly working in the post then you are on the perimeter. Where it is more about conditioning then anything else.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Quack Quack Quack Quack!
    Quack Quack Quack Quack?
    Quack Quack Quack Quack!!?
    QUACK!
    quack…

  • Da-Meat-Hook

    Although I agree with nbk’s stance on post play being more physically exerting, the quacking made me laugh pretty hard. Y’all are some funny dudes.

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Shout out at Da-Meatyest-Hook around.

  • iknowmybasketball

    the MVP race is tending to sound like more of a popularity contest between the best players in the league imo… Even the Raptors commentator Leo Rautins said during the Toronto Miami game that he thinks Durant should win it because its “his time”. Durant is only 24 and from the sounds of many, he is poised to win at least 5 MVPs. If LeBron signed with Miami with no “1-hour Decision”, he would be the clear cut favorite for MVP this year. Stats dont lie people, LBJ is poised to have his best statistical season in his dominating career and one of the best in NBA history.

← Older Comments
Advertisement