LeBron James has been a remarkable player for all these years. He has been part of the NBA for twenty years. In his 20th season, James has led the Los Angeles Lakers to the playoffs yet again. It has been a while since the Purple and the Gold Army made the postseason. LeBron James led the side to its 17th championship in 2020, equalling Boston Celtics for the most successful teams in the tournament’s history. That was LeBron’s fourth championship after title glories with the Heat and the Cavaliers.
However, it is a matter of time before fate will tell if he can lead the Lakers to another championship success. At 38, LeBron James has been a revelation. The youngsters in the NBA fraternity see James as an inspiration. After twenty years, there is no sign of degradation in the quality of the player. He is still very dominating, scoring at every game, even in the clutch moments. That’s LeBron James, everybody! However, this year, according to ESPN Stats & Info, for the first time in this span of twenty years, the King is not voted among the contenders for this year’s MVP.
LeBron James Didn’t Get A Single Vote For MVP
It is weird because there is no change in the stellar average of LeBron James every season. The numbers speak for themselves, as James garnered 28.9 ppg, 6.8 apg, and 8.3 rpg in 2022-2023. However, Joel Embiid of the 76ers got the most votes for NBA MVP this season. Previously, Embiid finished as runners-up for two seasons on the trot. The Joker, Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets, got second place in the MVP votes. Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks got the third place. The Joker won the previous two MVP awards. The Bucks star won two before Nikola Jokic.
Joel Embiid is the first player to win the Kia NBA MVP Award with the 76ers since Allen Iverson in the 2000-01 season.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 2, 2023
Complete voting results ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/kko3o8tmxi
But the question remains why was James not on the list? De’Aaron Fox of the Kings and Ja Morant of the Grizzlies made the list. But not LeBron James. Perhaps it was due to the month’s absence from the lineup the King had to go through after sustaining a tendon foot injury on his right foot. King James played only 55 out of 82 games in the regular season. Moreover, this number tied for the lowest played in the regular season. However, King James has won four MVPs in the last fifteen years. Furthermore, it speaks volumes of James’s durability and longevity to be on the list for 19 seasons.
The King More Or Less Is Having A Pretty Eventful Season
However, LeBron James had an eventful season as he broke the all-time scoring record. He even equaled Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for 19 All-Star appearances. That again leads to the discussion if it was fair not to give James a place on the list. However, James says winning championships are more important to him.
So be it. The Lakers faithful would hope for the King to lead their team to the coveted 18th NBA title. Currently, the Lakers are leading the Western Conference playoff semis 1-0 against the defending champions. It is going to be a tough and exciting series against the Warriors. LeBron James against the Warriors’ wizard Steph Curry, old rivals meets again at the playoffs.
