Reggie Miller was a controversial player during his active days and although he hasn’t reached those levels in his tenure as a commentator and analyst, the Indiana Pacers legend has managed to make some eyebrow-raising claims in the past couple of years.
The NBA MVP award will always create controversy around the fans and the media and the last couple of seasons, we lived that when Giannis Antetokounmpo won back-to-back MVP awards, beating James Harden (2019) and LeBron James (2020). Well, the legendary sharpshooter gave his two pennies on the current MVP race, delivering a very curious and controversial ranking.
He used three lists to qualify the players and how likely they are to win the prize: first class, business class, and coach class. The lists show LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and James Harden as the top 3 favorites to take the coveted award home at the end of the season, but, Chris Paul ranks fourth, according to Reggie.
Reggie Miller has Kawhi Leonard ranked behind both Luka, Jimmy Butler, in his MVP vote lol. Has him ranked 12th. pic.twitter.com/WqoVjczG51
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) March 17, 2021
The Phoenix Suns veteran is having a great season, helping Devin Booker improve his level, as well as the rest of the squad but making him an MVP favorite seems to be too much. He put CP3 ahead of Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, and Kawhi Leonard. The Joker is considered the leading candidate for the 2021 MVP after LeBron and Embiid went down with injuries but not on Miller’s book.
NBA fans reacted to this, going off on Miller while others explained what’s going on with most of the players on the list and why they should have a higher position.
First of all his list is trash but since embid is injured joker is mvp no question
— I Am Groot (@ll_KingLeo_ll) March 17, 2021
You know who else has underperformed? Every one not named lakers, Philly, Suns, Utah. So what’s ur point…?
— D. Bouangoat 💭 (@LacProtagonist) March 17, 2021
Clippers are the smallest big market team ever
— Alex (@AlexBothast) March 17, 2021
Jimmy deserves to be there
— Kai Ribbens (@Kai54016240) March 17, 2021
— Rob Yamagata 🇯🇵 (@TheYamagata32) March 17, 2021
Casual L
— Judd (@Boat_SZN) March 17, 2021
Am a Kawhi fan but in all fairness he has been off in the last few games before the Dallas game . Started the season in MVP form but both he and PG got sloppy quick. So kind of agree with the list, but LBJ in first is just straight narrative talk.
— Diggi (@Diggi_23) March 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/Family_CFO/status/1372050057193648128
Jimmy and Luka are playing better. Jimmy has missed the begining of the season so that's a stretch…
— Bry thee Man (@BGogo00) March 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/willfriedrichs/status/1372190098721226761
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
— Jordathaniel Alabaster (@Jordathaniel) March 17, 2021
🤦🏿♂️
C'mon Reggie you from Riverside…don't do this to Kawhi.
— Rebirth_Of_Soul (@TrevorMartinTho) March 17, 2021
They're definitely underperforming, but they're performing better than 80% of the teams on this list: Heat, Mavs, etc
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) March 17, 2021
Paul has demonstrated why they call him ‘Point God’ once again but not many people consider he should be part of the MVP conversation this season. Shaquille O’Neal made the case against him two weeks ago, saying that the award was an individual prize, not a collective one and although Paul did a lot for his team, he doesn’t see him as an MVP favorite.
Doncic, Giannis, Curry, and Jokic seem to be a better case than the 35-year-old veteran but not for Miller.
