The NBA MVP award used to be a crowning achievement for the best player in basketball at the end of the regular season. The discussion around the award has been getting a lot more toxic in recent years, with disagreements over selections having massive ramifications.
Respected NBA analyst Marc Spears revealed he gave up his MVP vote after having to pick between James Harden and Russell Westbrook in 2017.
(17:33) “I remember an NBA coach telling me, ‘Well, you better vote for James Harden over Russell Westbrook because James Harden is gonna give you more interviews than Russ does. He’s gonna see who voted for him, and if you didn’t vote for him, he’s going to shun you.’”
Spears explained that he didn’t like being in a position where his vote could impact the financial incentives of a player, given the amount of money linked to making All-NBA teams or winning the MVP award. He prioritized ensuring he has a good relationship with players instead of being at odds with players that may not like the fact that he voted one player over the other players.
Who Will Win MVP This Season?
The 2022-23 NBA MVP award seemed to be a foregone conclusion in January when Nikola Jokic was leading the Denver Nuggets to cut through the Western Conference like a hot knife through butter. Recent struggles for the star and his team have meant that his stock has fallen.
Joel Embiid is the current favorite after having an incredible March where his team has risen up the standings while he is averaging 34.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game this month. Giannis Antetokounmpo still has a legitimate claim at the award as well, leading the Milwaukee Bucks to the best record in the NBA.
It’ll be interesting to see how this year’s race plays out, especially given the nature of the conversation around the award all season long.
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