ESPN.com news services PHOENIX -- Steve Nash will win his second straight NBA Most Valuable Player award, according to reports on several area newspapers. The announcement may not come for two weeks, according to the Arizona Republic. But the paper, and others, report that the voting shows Nash edging LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Chauncey Billups and Kobe Bryant for the MVP. This season, Nash had career-highs in points (18.8 points per game), rebounds (4.2 per game), field goal percentage (51.2 percent) and free throw percentage (92.1 percent -- best in the league). He was also the league-leader in assists (10.5) and shot nearly 50 percent from three-point range. The Suns are currently playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. A year ago, Nash edged Shaquille O'Neal in what was the fourth-closest balloting in history. This is fucking rediculous! With nearly 60 percent of the ballots counted in early exit polls, it appears Steve Nash is headed for his second straight Most Valuable Player award. In a Tribune survey of 75 of the 127 writers and broadcasters who cast official MVP ballots with the NBA, Nash has a sizable lead over Cleveland's LeBron James for the award. Nash received 30 first-place votes, 24 second-place votes and 549 total points in the Tribune survey, giving him a 141-point lead over James ? who has 408 points but only garnered 11 first-place votes. Dirk Nowitzki ranks third in total points (370) and second in first-place votes (12), but the Dallas Morning News, citing several league sources, reported Tuesday that Nowitzki did not win the MVP award. How disrespectful is this? Kobe isnt even second or third in the ballots. This really sucks!
If this is true, it sucks. I can't say I didn't expect it coming. This is what I said in a thread on the 18th of this month: <div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_fan:</div><div class="quote_post">I think he'll end up 4th, even though he deserves a top 2 placing.</div> Thread Link
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting LO7:</div><div class="quote_post">ESPN.com news services PHOENIX -- Steve Nash will win his second straight NBA Most Valuable Player award, according to reports on several area newspapers. The announcement may not come for two weeks, according to the Arizona Republic. But the paper, and others, report that the voting shows Nash edging LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki, Chauncey Billups and Kobe Bryant for the MVP. This season, Nash had career-highs in points (18.8 points per game), rebounds (4.2 per game), field goal percentage (51.2 percent) and free throw percentage (92.1 percent -- best in the league). He was also the league-leader in assists (10.5) and shot nearly 50 percent from three-point range. The Suns are currently playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. A year ago, Nash edged Shaquille O'Neal in what was the fourth-closest balloting in history. This is fucking rediculous! With nearly 60 percent of the ballots counted in early exit polls, it appears Steve Nash is headed for his second straight Most Valuable Player award. In a Tribune survey of 75 of the 127 writers and broadcasters who cast official MVP ballots with the NBA, Nash has a sizable lead over Cleveland's LeBron James for the award. Nash received 30 first-place votes, 24 second-place votes and 549 total points in the Tribune survey, giving him a 141-point lead over James ? who has 408 points but only garnered 11 first-place votes. Dirk Nowitzki ranks third in total points (370) and second in first-place votes (12), but the Dallas Morning News, citing several league sources, reported Tuesday that Nowitzki did not win the MVP award. How disrespectful is this? Kobe isnt even second or third in the ballots. This really sucks!</div> What's even crazier is 13 writers didn't even give him a single vote.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_fan:</div><div class="quote_post">If this is true, it sucks. I can't say I didn't expect it coming. This is what I said in a thread on the 18th of this month: Thread Link</div> What does Kobe need to do to gain even a little respect? Change his number? I mean 4th place for the leagues leading scorer?
Fudge the leading scorer, what about taking this team into the playoffs and playing god like basketball?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">What's even crazier is 13 writers didn't even give him a single vote.</div>
Just like Iggy is the peoples dunk champion, Kobe is the peoples MVP. Even though you can't really compare a dunk contest to an MVP award.
What really pisses me off is that guy on TNT who has cancer or something said he wouldn' even Kobe a chance. Kobe will take this personal. And when we win the series, so called experts are gonna rethink their vote.
yeah, hopefully kobe will show why he should be the MVP after the Lakers beat the Suns in the series.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">What's even crazier is 13 writers didn't even give him a single vote.</div> Why is Lebron in second place? Is it because he wears 23? Or is it because we are all witnessing grand larsony?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Laker_fan:</div><div class="quote_post">Kobe is the peoples MVP.</div> Ok then. Kobe had a fantastic season, but why don't you guys stop being biased.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bobcats:</div><div class="quote_post">Ok then. Kobe had a fantastic season, but why don't you guys stop being biased.</div> Its a Laker board, what do you expect? Giving Kobe at the MAX a 4th spot is a screwjob.
Magic and Jordan are the only guards who have won back 2 back MVP's! I dont even feel right mentioning nash in that group. When was the last time a player won the MVP award while scoring under 20 ppg? Thats easy... Nash did! for tehsecond straight year.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting LO7:</div><div class="quote_post">Why is Lebron in second place? Is it because he wears 23? Or is it because we are all witnessing grand larsony?</div> He deserves to be there, he has the stats and wins to back it up.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bobcats:</div><div class="quote_post">Ok then. Kobe had a fantastic season, but why don't you guys stop being biased.</div> What in God's purple and gold hell do you mean stop being biased. Is that your favorite word or something? Or do you just hate the fact that Kobe got robbed.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brasco:</div><div class="quote_post">He deserves to be there, he has the stats and wins to back it up.</div> Your right I am wrong. Kobe in 4th place or even unranked while LBJ is in second.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting LO7:</div><div class="quote_post">What in God's purple and gold hell do you mean stop being biased. Is that your favorite word or something? Or do you just hate the fact that Kobe got robbed.</div> I think you mean "love the fact...."
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting LO7:</div><div class="quote_post">Your right I am wrong. Kobe in 4th place or even unranked while LBJ is in second.</div> I didn't say anything about kobe, but i see no problem with lebron in second.
Nash over Kobe for MVP? What a joke <font color="#0000ff">DIME Magazine</font> / Dime Magazine Posted: 1 hour ago Word leaked Wednesday morning <font color="#0000ff">that Steve Nash will be named this year's MVP</font>. While it won't be officially announced for some time, it looks like it's a done deal. And we think it's absurd. The fact that Steve Nash is going to win the award isn't the problem. The problem is that Kobe Bryant didn't. Honestly, what more could Kobe have done this season to win the MVP? It's a joke. And what makes the whole thing even more outrageous is that his losing out is clearly personal. To be blunt, he didn't win it because the people with the votes just don't like him. And that's a shame. Heading into this season, if someone asked you to make a list of what Kobe would have to do in the 2005-06 NBA season to win the MVP, what would you have said? Something like that Kobe would have to show that he's the best player in the NBA and he would have to take that god-awful Lakers team to the playoffs — not an easy thing to do in the Western Conference. So what did Kobe do? Here are three numbers: 81, 62 and 35.4. The 81-point explosion against the Raptors in January completely eclipsed the fact that he gave the Mavericks 62 in just three quarters a few weeks prior. His 35.4 points per game, easily enough to secure him the league's scoring title, was the eighth-highest single-season scoring average in league history and the most since MJ put up 37.1 points per game back in '87. No. 8 put together two separate streaks this season where he scored 40 or more points in four straight games. Let's be blunt: Kobe Bryant is clearly the best basketball player in the world. We've said it so many times: Steve Nash's supporting cast includes Shawn Marion (a guy who should have received some MVP attention) and Boris Diaw (potentially the NBA's Most Improved Player). But if you substituted any other elite NBA shooting guard for Kobe Bryant and kept that same Lakers supporting cast, L.A.'s season would have been very, very different. Is there any doubt that Los Angeles would have finished with a record that was just as abysmal as that of the Knicks, Raptors or Trail Blazers? Kobe didn't barely get the Lakers to the playoffs, just scraping out the eighth seed. They finished seventh, were firmly entrenched in the playoff picture for much of the year, and their 45-game win total in the West was more than all but four teams in the Eastern Conference. With complimentary pieces like Chris Mihm, Devean George, Brian Cook and Sasha Vujacic surrounding Kobe, 45 wins in the Western Conference is nothing short of a miracle. So why no love for Kobe? Like we said earlier, it's strictly personal. There's no other explanation. The writers with the votes just don't like him. They're blurring their feelings about Kobe as a person with how they view him as a basketball player. We've been hearing all year that Kobe shouldn't win the MVP because he "doesn't make the players around him better." We don't necessarily agree, but if that's what we're basing this on, then by all means, give Steve Nash the "Makes Those Around Him Better Award" and be done with it. Kobe perfectly fits the two criteria that voters traditionally use when deciding on an MVP: he's the best player in the league and he's invaluable to his team. Kobe Bryant is the NBA's Most Valuable Player. It's not even close.
