SUMMARY
- LeBron James has been crowned NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year four times.
- There were a few instances that people argue about James being snubbed from the title over Steve Nash, Derrick Rose, and James Harden.
When you debate about LeBron James, you address the career of arguably the greatest player of all time. For two whole decades, the 4x NBA Champion has been at the top of the game inspiring several young athletes of this generation. Right now with the Los Angeles Lakers, James has played 21 seasons and he’s making a strong push to possibly play the most in NBA history.
LEBRON JAMES FROM THE STRATOSPHERE🔥🔥
pic.twitter.com/kyg1njbY1F— Lakers Loop (@lakersloop) April 21, 2024
Throughout the years, the 20x NBA All-Star produced consistent numbers while bringing championships to every organization he has played for. LeBron had two stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers while producing their first and only title in 2016. He also played for the Miami Heat as well. But there is a looming discussion that claims James should have won the MVP more than four times in his career. He has finished top 10 in MVP voting ten times while being amongst the top three seven times.
LeBron James had a better 2005-06 campaign than Steve Nash
Now let us take a brief dive into the years he could have won. Before touching on the topic of winning the MVP over Steve Nash, fans often debate that LeBron James should’ve won the title in 2011. That was the same year Derrick Rose won the MVP and became the youngest to ever do it.
While James certainly had a better season statistically, the Chicago Bulls finished over the Heat with the best record in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, James was also viewed as an enemy of state after leaving the Cavaliers ahead of that season. He didn’t have the best relationship with the media either, while Rose stood as a prime example of loyalty.
Now let’s rewind a couple of years earlier when James should’ve won over the former Phoenix Suns point guard. During the 2005-05 season, he averaged 31.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists. He had one of the best regular season performances in the league other than Kobe Bryant. However, the Cavaliers had a better record than the Lakers while Bryant’s squad nearly missed the playoffs.
Nash averaged only 18.8 points. 4.2 rebounds, and 10.5 assists per game while leading the Suns to the second seed in the NBA. The Cavaliers had 50 wins that season while securing the fourth seed in the East. Nash and LeBron appeared for 79 games as well, but it was their team’s overall record that was taken into consideration. This might’ve been the only season James truly deserved the MVP over someone else.
Did LeBron James deserve to win the MVP over James Harden in 2018?
LeBron James’ second stint with the Cavaliers was basketball played at its finest. James dominated the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons while making the finals during all of them. The 2018-17 season was the fourth time James had met the Golden State Warriors in the finals. Once again, James averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game while leading the Cavaliers to the fourth seed with 50 wins again.
However, the eventual league MVP winner, James Harden averaged a staggering 35.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists while leading the Houston Rockets to the best record in the league with 65 wins. Many people believe that James deserved the MVP over Harden because he barely had superstar power on his team as Kyrie Irving had left for the Boston Celtics. Ultimately, Harden had massive numbers on a team that could’ve dethroned the Warriors that year.
So did the Lakers forward deserve more MVPs? Yes and no. The MVP Award often goes to the best player on the best team or to individuals who have historic runs. In most instances that James should’ve been MVP, the eventual winner always had an edge over him in general aspects such as team success and numbers during the regular season.