For some, the race to this season’s MVP is a close-knit battle between LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Despite his team having the worse record, what Bron is currently doing at 35-years-old is unprecedented.
But according to former basketball star (and current league analyst) Charles Barkley, you’d be foolish to pick anyone over Giannis for this season’s MVP. He laid out the argument on the Dan LeBatard Show:
“You’re an idiot if you vote for LeBron over Giannis for MVP. Imagine LeBron being 53-9 with Kris Middleton as his next best player and losing the MVP. The media is stupid.“
It is true that the media seems to push LeBron’s narrative more-so than other stars. If the roles were reversed, Bron would likely be headed for a unanimous MVP win.
Instead, Giannis is the one dominating at levels we’ve rarely seen before. This season, he is averaging 29.6 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists on 54% shooting. Compare that to James‘ numbers (25, 10, and 7.8) and his team’s win-loss record (five-games worse than Milwaukee) and it’s easy to see why Giannis should be favored.
But for the Greek Freak, and the rest of the Bucks, it’s not about what happens between now and the end of the season. Rather, their focus is on securing the victory in June, when all the chips will be on the line.
Antetokounmpo will probably be the first to tell you that MVP is not a priority for him.
