LeBron James and his MVP case have been making the headlines in recent days, with the Los Angeles Lakers superstar even admitting he felt like he should have more than four MVP trophies. The King was on the route to win his 5th MVP this campaign but after his high right ankle injury, the race could be over for him.
Before that, though, he was having a terrific season, leading the Lakers to continue as the good team they were last year and remembering the times he felt he should have won the MVP. Even his teammate Kyle Kuzma sided with him, saying he could have at least 8 MVP trophies at home, which sparked a series of reactions around the league. Fox Sports’ analyst Chris Broussard was one of those and he remembered all the times that people felt other players should have won the award over the player who ended up winning.
Broussard even named Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal as examples, saying that there was only one season where he believed James should have gotten the prize.
“Should Jordan have more than 5 MVPs? Probably. Shaq & Kobe have 2 combined. LeBron is not alone in this. The only year I came up with where LeBron could’ve won it that he didn’t was 2005-06. So, maybe 5.”
"Should Jordan have more than 5 MVPs? Probably. Shaq & Kobe have 2 combined. LeBron is not alone in this. The only year I came up with where LeBron could've won it that he didn't was 2005-06. So, maybe 5."
— @Chris_Broussard on Kuzma saying LeBron should have 8, 9 or 10 MVPs: pic.twitter.com/OtIIDu3NiP
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) March 19, 2021
Well, these debates are getting hotter by the day, especially knowing LeBron’s consistency over the years. Still, there were players with better seasons than him and it was clear that they should have won the award. The last time the King was awarded the MVP was in 2013, while he was still with the Miami Heat.
Anybody can make the case for their favorite players to win this honor but it’s not so easy to win it. This year, after Joel Embiid’s injury, the picture looked very promising for the King but now that he’s out, other candidates like James Harden and Nikola Jokic can take the lead of the race.
