Kobe wins his 1st reg. season MVP (PG 34 - Kobe speaks)

polypro127 wrote:http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-kobe3-2008may03,0,6643435.story

massmass wrote:http://espn.go.com/

lower right corner...

so far kobes only up by 3%... lets destroy BSPN's intentions on making this close by showing how much everyone thinks kobe should win it...

polypro127 wrote:Same New Orleans Article:

"Unfortunately, it appears Bryant is going to win the award based on a survey conducted last week, with 10 of the 16 voters contacted by The Times-Picayune saying they already had voted or planned to select Bryant as their top choice."

OchoX3 wrote:

"I think the MVP race has probably come down to C.P. and Kobe," Hornets Coach Byron Scott said. "Both of them have been great, no doubt about it. Like I said, I wouldn't be opposed to them having co-MVPs. Both guys are deserving, and that's the bottom line."

LINK

Byron

LA Times wrote:With the NBA regular season close to an end, supporters of the Lakers' Kobe Bryant should feel good about his chances of winning the league's Bryant is given 1-2 odds to end his MVP drought with Paul listed at 1-1, according to Sportsbetting.com.

So if a Bryant fan bet $100 and won, they would get $50 back. A wager of $100 on Paul would pay $100 if the Hornets' point guard took home the honor.

The LA Times wrote:Some voters might simply select Kobe Bryant or New Orleans guard Chris Paul as the league's most valuable player based on which team finishes better in the West, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

"I think winning the West is probably going to be the most important thing as far as that goes. It's going to have a big influence," said Jackson, who has reiterated his support for Bryant numerous times over the last few weeks. But Jackson acknowledged that Paul was also playing at a high level: "I think that Chris has certainly vaulted into that position where he seriously has to be considered."

The Lakers usually let the fortunes of their players rest on their own achievements, but the team took the added step of sending out pro-Bryant material to NBA writers around the league.

The material was based on an old-style political election campaign and consisted of bumper stickers, campaign buttons, red suspenders and a letter from "campaign manager" Jerry Buss, who urged writers to vote for Bryant.

"From the owner on down, the organization feels that Kobe has had a season worthy of an MVP award," said Tim Harris, the Lakers' chief marketing officer and senior vice president of business operations. "Sending this out is not something we have historically done, but his performance and leadership warrants it."

MVP ballots are due when the regular season ends. The winner is usually announced during the second round of the playoffs, in mid-May.

Of 21 NBA writers polled informally by Mark Heisler, The Times' NBA columnist, 10 selected Bryant, eight selected Paul, two picked Boston forward Kevin Garnett and one chose James.

With an increased number of newspapers withdrawing from voting because of potential conflict-of-interest issues, only six of the 21 planned to vote this season. (Three chose Bryant and three chose Paul.) The Times will not vote for an MVP.

scarpetta wrote:

LeBron James will end the regular season with one of the best individual seasons in recent memory, but his effort is still not good enough for many sportswriters, broadcasters and radio announcers from across the country.

The Plain Dealer polled the 125 media members who will vote for this year's Most Valuable Player award, asking for their top three choices, in order. Forty-five responded, and in a close vote, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers was chosen as MVP, with Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets second and James third. Surprisingly, James only received one first-place vote, while Bryant received 25 and Paul 17.
The official NBA MVP ballot is not due until next Wednesday, the last day of the regular season. The MVP will be announced during the NBA Finals in June, and if it's Bryant, Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine said it was a long time coming.
"Kobe's been regarded as the best player in the league since Shaquille O'Neal left L.A., but he's never had the wins to get the award," said Broussard, a former Plain Dealer sports staffer. "Now he finally does, plus his numbers are still good, though not as good as James' and Paul's.

"I also take history into account, because this award affects how players are viewed historically, what their legacy is. And it would be a travesty if Kobe retired without an MVP."

Many voters who did not give Bryant the nod said his first-place votes could be related more to his past than this season. Bryant as the MVP could also represent a lifetime achievement award.
.......

for the rest of the discussion http://www.cleveland.com/sports/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1207729919187530.xml&coll=2&thispage=2

I still believe

MDI wrote:one of the biggest Kobe haters gives in...

LINK

Bryant shouldn’t have to wait anymore for MVP

By Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports 58 minutes ago

Kobe Bryant hasn’t always been the best person, the best teammate, the best ambassador for the National Basketball Association. This is the reason so many voters are searching for someone else to vote Most Valuable Player. For this, Bryant can blame himself. This is the price paid for petulance.

Still, Bryant is an MVP. He’s been the best player, a three-time champion and voters must ask themselves: If I don’t vote for him this year, what will it ever take? His talent, his accomplishments, his place in history, command multiple MVPs. This has been a season when everything has come together to make his candidacy unimpeachable.

His time, his trophy.

“You can’t just continue to take what Kobe is doing for granted,” Pistons president and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars said. “The guy is one of the truly great players and he should be recognized as such.”
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No one needs historical context to make the case for Bryant this year. His season stands on its own. At 29, this isn’t a lifetime achievement award. Kobe is still the best of the best. MVPs, however, are never won overnight in the NBA. Mostly, it takes constructing credibility over the years. He’s been so great, for so long that Dumars is right: People do take him for granted.

As Mark Heisler’s informal poll in the Los Angeles Times showed, the MVP race appears to be down to Bryant and New Orleans point guard Chris Paul. Someday, Paul is going to be an MVP, a champion. He has saved basketball in New Orleans, passing Steve Nash and Jason Kidd as the best point guard on the planet. There isn’t a player in the league that I love more to talk with, that I love more to watch play, than Paul.

Yet, he will have to go No. 2 on my ballot. He hasn’t been first-team All-NBA. He still hasn’t played in the postseason. His time is coming, and coming fast, but there’s time for Paul. Before Paul and LeBron James and maybe Dwyane Wade are 29 years old, they’ll probably have MVP trophies. Bryant’s wait has been long enough.

Those who believe in Bryant’s greatness are forever ripping the voting process, saying it’s a joke that he’ll never been named MVP. Normally, they don’t tell you what year that should’ve happened, who should’ve lost out. Once Tim Duncan had won his two MVP awards, Nash and Dirk Nowitzki were winning, the Lakers losing, and Bryant lost three straight times in his prime. In those years, the mediocre Laker teams crushed his candidacy.

Always, it was this: In the post-Shaq era, Bryant had to be playing for a contender. This was the voter’s mandate. As much as anything, Nowitzki was the best player on the 67-win Mavericks a year ago and it was declared his window, his time. To hear people say that they want to hold off voting to see who finishes the Western Conference with the better record – New Orleans or Los Angeles – is missing the point here.

Bryant doesn’t need the Lakers to finish with the best record in the regular season. When the Lakers are together, yes, they are the most talented team in the NBA. Only, they haven’t been together this season. The Lakers are still fighting for the No. 1 seed with Andrew Bynum out since the middle of January and Pau Gasol arriving in February and missing nine games in March.

The idea that an MVP has to do more with less is nonsense. For coach of the year, it’s a fairer argument. When Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were winning MVPs in the 1980s, who held their rosters against them?

No one ever made Nash reach a conference final – never mind win a title – to give him his first MVP. He came on late in his career to transform himself, but that was never necessary with Bryant. At 29, he’s been great for most of a decade. He’s paid his price for petulance. Joe Dumars is right: No more taking Bryant for granted.

His time, his trophy.

lakerzkb8 wrote:

Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul in a duel for MVP

By Mark Heisler / On the NBA
April 9, 2008
A survey of basketball beat writers shows that the award is a two-man race between the Lakers and New Orleans stars

Lakerdom, behind the scenes...

Over the weekend, I asked 21 NBA writers from 19 cities and two websites for their first, second and third MVP picks for this season, and the result was...

Too close to call.

The Lakers' Kobe Bryant, named by all 21, had 10 first-place votes, eight seconds and three thirds.

New Orleans' Chris Paul, named by all 21, had 8-9-4.

Boston's Kevin Garnett was a distant third, named on 15 ballots with 2-3-10.

Only four players were named, the last being LeBron James of Cleveland, who made six ballots and got 1-1-4.

This is like polling for the Pennsylvania primary, interesting but almost as far out. The primary is April 22. The MVP race will go right down to the league's deadline for submitting ballots, after the NBA regular season ends April 16.

Two voters who had Bryant first and Paul second joked about changing their mind hourly. Both said they'll go with Paul if his Hornets finish No. 1 in the Western Conference.

This is only a test of general sentiment. With more and more newspapers withdrawing from the process (as The Times has), only six writers in this poll have actual votes.

(For what it's worth, three of those had Paul first and three had Bryant first.)

What this does suggest is it's a two-man race.

Garnett galvanized the Celtics, who weren't even a consensus pick to win the East. However, his candidacy is undercut by missing nine games but even more by playing alongside two stars, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

I'm surprised to see James run this well. As good as he is, he's not generally considered the game's best player -- that would be Bryant -- and his Cavaliers are fourth in the East, 19 1/2 games out of first.

"If it stopped the way it is, I think Chris Paul has been outstanding and his team has been the top of the charts," said two-time MVP Steve Nash.

"It's the team, your impact on your team and what you do overall. Let's face it, he has been unbelievable. His scoring, his assisting, he's a leader in steals. He shoots a good percentage. He put his team on his back in the fourth quarter. That's what it's about. He doesn't have the players around him that Kobe has."

mark.heisler@latimes.com

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-spw-he ... ?track=rss


Good sign I guess..

Nash's comment is so hypocritical. Keep acting like you won that MVP without Amare and Marion genius

Amare (the year Nash won that first MVP he was a BEAST) +Marion > Pau + LO ( although LO's play of late has been great, he hasn't been great all season)

Lakerman JSJ wrote:

The one to watch
Why Kobe will be star attraction of intriguing playoffs
April 9, 2008

Kobe Bryant has invested these past five months in trying to gain leverage over his career. The previous four years are his self-imposed burden, and lately he has been trying to lift that gathering weight and tip it over upon itself. He is succeeding.

It's like watching an undrafted guard work his way into a rotation of guaranteed contracts. That's how hard Bryant has been working to tip over the past in creation of a pedestal for himself. He is the most talented player in the world and he's playing with an underdog's mentality.

Here Tuesday night, his Lakers lost 112-103 to a young team with no more than a week left to its season. When Portland led by 16 late in the third quarter, Bryant could be seen clapping on the bench, trying to raise enthusiasm. After a timeout he scored the next 10 points, on a jumper, a three-pointer, a dunk in transition and three free throws.

What he heard at the foul line was: "Kobe shucks! Kobe shucks!'' Or something a little more vile.

This was not the kind of greeting Michael Jordan received in the second half of his career, but he probably heard many things like it before he won his initial championship, in 1991. It's easy to gloss over his first seven regular seasons and say that Jordan was "destined'' (a false sports cliché to be sure) to become the most prolific winner after the Bill Russell era. But at the time there was no certainty that he would amount to a six-time champion, and it's that same uncertainty that Bryant faces now.

Despite three championships he won alongside Shaquille O'Neal before turning 24, Bryant remains a player struggling to achieve. In a few seasons, will we dismiss these past three or four years as prelude to his fulfilling his "destiny?'' That's how winners are celebrated in America: They get to rewrite the past.

Make no mistake: Bryant now has more in common with Jordan the old champion than he shares with the young Jordan who was criticized in his early years as a flawed scorer, a hollow star. While Jordan needed to learn how to lead a championship team, the truth back then was that he lacked players who could be so led. The same has been true for Bryant. It's no coincidence that he suddenly appears more mature amid the sudden improvement of center Andrew Bynum in the first half of this season, followed by the acquisition of Pau Gasol.

I said it early this season and repeat it now: Bryant was right to exert pressure on the Lakers last summer to demand an upgrade in talent. Would you rather that he cash his checks and accept first-round defeats without complaint? In which case he would be accused of not caring enough. As clumsily as he demanded improvements to the team, those demands in the strangest way showed that he was willing to further injure his own scarred reputation in exchange for winning more championships. And if he does win them, then his momentary demand to be traded last summer surely will be written off as a successful gambit.

For all of the criticisms he's earned over the years, it's only fair to point out that Bryant has made good on his end of last summer's uproar by playing the best basketball of his career. It started later last summer (such a summer this guy had) when Bryant cut back on his scoring and concentrated on shutting down the opponents' top scorers to help USA Basketball win its Olympic qualifying tournament.

"He probably heard a story about Michael or Magic [Johnson] doing things for their team in the Olympics,'' said Blazers coach Nate McMillan, a Team USA assistant. "He set the example for everybody else. ... Now he communicates as a coach does, and he knows that getting guys to do what they're capable of doing is important.''

On Tuesday, Bryant finished with 34 points and five assists on a difficult 11-for-26 night, but the Lakers lost by allowing Portland to shoot 50.6 percent against a defense that ranks No. 6 in that category. Near the end of the game, Bryant's shoulders slumped after Brandon Roy (23 points and 12 assists) beat him off the dribble without another defender preventing him from driving free to the rim. Afterward, however, Bryant spoke constructively like a coach, or (even better) like the older Jordan.

"We just weren't on the same page tonight defensively,'' he said. "We didn't do a good job collapsing, we didn't get out to the shooters, we didn't rotate. When we did rotate we fell a little short and gave guys open looks. We've got to continue to play through the play and get on the same page, and we will.''

The first question is whether Bryant's growth this season will earn him the MVP. I imagine that it will, by a small margin. A lot of people in the NBA believed the Lakers were on the verge of unloading Bryant and collapsing as a franchise; instead, he and coach Phil Jackson have held them together along with the cavalry acquisition of Gasol just in time to replace the injured Bynum. No one, but no one, envisioned a 53-25 record for the Lakers entering the final week of this season.

The second question is whether Bynum can return from his midseason knee injury to give Bryant a chance at the championship over the two months ahead. All Bryant asks is that Bynum defend the basket.

"That's it,'' Bryant said. "He'll be able to patrol that middle, especially against teams that have little guards that can get to the basket. If we'd just set him back there tonight, it would have been a lot tougher for those [Portland] guards to get to the basket. He's a legit 7-1 guy, a long-wingspan shot-blocker, so just that dynamic improves our team.''

As much as I'm interested to see how Shaq works out with Phoenix, how far Kevin Garnett can drive Boston and whether the AARP Spurs will make like the 1968-69 Celtics, the most provocative show of the playoffs will star Kobe Bryant as the player trying to not be too ambitious for his own good. Whatever happens, we'll look back on it five years from now and say it was all meant to be. The truth of it is that nobody knows. Especially him.

vaheblings wrote:"Truth is Kobe Bryant will never win the MVP of the league. He is hated too much. Hated by those who cast votes. Hated too much by those he plays against. And the two All-Star Game MVPs he's won, well, they don't count in this scenario."

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/st ... ortCat=nba

scheven wrote:http://slamonline.com/online/2008/04/the-mvps-mvp/

The other day I woke up to my cell-phone vibrating. It startled me out of a dream in which the very last image was Kobe, sitting on a throne as LeBron cut his hair. It was the last scene in a night long dream featuring Kobe, LeBron and Chris Paul, brought together to decide — for themselves — the official MVP of the 2007-2008 season. Luckily for you, I remember this dream verbatim (wink). Peep how it went down.

You know how dreams abruptly begin during random moments, right? Mine began with Kobe bringing Chris Paul a drink on a porch….

Kobe: Here ya go, lil’ man.

Chris: Man, what’s this?

Kobe: Paul Masson.

Paul: Man, I said Patron, not Paul Masson … Paul Masson? Who am I? Ira Newble? …

(LeBron enters, carrying a king’s throne on his massive back, wearing the same outfit he wore on the cover of Vogue, finishes his conversation and hangs up his cell.)

Kobe: Nice throne, King James. Who was that on the celly, Giselle?

LeBron: Nah, man. Haven’t talked to her since the photo-shoot. Matter fact, I didn’t even talk to her at the photo-shoot. I like my women a little curvier.

Paul: A real woman. Hey, speaking of real women and curves, I think I’m crushin’ on America Ferrera, these days. She really…

Kobe: Aight, enough of all that. Let’s get down to business.

LeBron: For real - what’s this all about?

Kobe: I’ll tell you … the other day, I was watching CNN and hearing all this rhetoric about how the Democrats should broker some agreement for a nomination before the National Convention, so as not leave it up to these people they call “super delegates” to decide the nominee, which would be a circus. I don’t want — we don’t want — this MVP-thing to get out of hand, so, I thought we could do the same. Before we let these newspaper and website “super delegates” decide for us, we need to come to a consensus ourselves. So, that’s why I called you guys here.

LeBron: Aight, but KG. You invited KG, right?

Kobe: I called KG and extended an invite, provided he brought Paul with him and they came as a tandem. KG demurred and said that he’d be fine with that. That’s when I rescinded the invite. I dig how he’s influenced his teammates and filled that roster with passion and accountability, but, in all honesty, we can make similar MVP cases for Pierce and Tom Thibodeau. I just haven’t seen KG “carry” that Celtics squad to too many vics. It was a tough stance to take, but I think he understood.

Paul: True. I don’t wanna be presumptuous, but I’ll just start off by humbly stating that I don’t think there is any team that has played as great as my Hornets while relying on one player as heavily as my Hornets rely on me. No disrespect to you, ‘Bron, but, although I believe your squad is the only team in the league that’s as reliant on it’s Franchise as my Hornets, y’all dudes might win 45 games … in the East. Meanwhile, my rag-tag squad is looking at 57-60 wins and a Top 3 seed — in the WEST. And, with apologies to Mo Pete and Melvin Ely, it’s pretty much all because of me.

LeBron: Na, I feel you. Like, Steve Nash had Amare and Matrix and wasn’t nearly putting up the kind of stats your laying down; and he won back-to-back MVPs. Sometimes, though, people don’t even mention you in the discussion. It’s tragic.

LeBron: Bottom line, though: nobody has done what I’m doing on the court.

Kobe and Paul (in unison): Oscar Robertson.

LeBron: Alright, well let’s say nobody in the modern era. Kobe, I respect how you get down, Sir, but you don’t dominate games like I do.

Kobe: First of all, I absolutely do — in more ways than one — and, second of all, you play NIT squads all year. East of the Mississippi is like the Horizon League. Ironically, we’re the Big East/ACC over on this coast.

Paul: Haaaa!! It’s funny ’cause it’s true. We take advantage of the East. It’s like going to a frat party where there are a bunch of drunk freshmen girls.

Kobe: With low self-esteem.

Paul: On the rebound.

Kobe: And on ecstasy. Ha!

LeBron: You can really be an arrogant, insecure prick sometimes, Kobe.

Kobe: Arrogant? Absolutely. Prick. For sure. But insecure? Nah, baby, you got me twisted.

LeBron: No, really, you’re insecure. You know I’m breathing on your neck. I’m always saying you’re the best player in the world, even if I secretly believe that designation belongs to me. Just the other day, in a televised ESPN interview, I was asked if there were any athletes that I admire. I named Tiger, Roger Federer, Michael Jordan and you. But, then every time my name comes out of your mouth, there’s a dismissive tone attached. I think you’re scared that I’m passing you, that I’m the best player in the league, that I’m the Most Valuable Playe. So, you’re combating that by minimizing me whenever you can.

Kobe: Uh. You’re pretty close, I guess. — I’ll give you that. In terms of fundamental, singular value, I’m worth about a buck and you’re probably 99 cent, plus a centavo. You still gotta grow. I mean, look at you, you’re biting your nails and you still have your iPod buds in your ears. Have you actually been listening to music during all of this?

LeBron: Quietly, yes. It’s Damon Jones’ mixtape. He’s flowin’ over Rick Ross beats. It’s pretty pathetic, but much better than that joint you did with Tyra Banks.

Kobe: Let’s stay on subject, fellas…

Paul: Wait! I remember that joint. He started off, “What I lust for? Basketball, beats and broads.” Haaaaa! You must have grown up on Peabo Bryson and Phil Collins.

LeBron: Straight up though — and I’m not trying to gang-up on you or anything, Kobe — but I think it’s a two man race between Chris and I.

Paul (passively): Ooh. I don’t know about that.

LeBron: For real. I think Chris and I have carried a much heavier load for our squads, while, in the process, advancing the game of basketball. I think we’ve turned in seasons that are both statistically and — maybe more importantly — aesthetically unique in the modern era of basketball.

Paul: Yeah, I think dudes around the league are becoming afraid of you. But it’s like a healthy, awed-fear.

LeBron: And Chris. His game is just weird. He’s the New Isaiah/KJ/Tiny.

Paul: Well, actually, I patterned my game after Barry Sanders. You can’t tell?

Kobe: I can see that.

Paul: Word. If you notice, I create holes using space and momentum the way Barry did. I don’t necessarily slash like Tony Parker or Deron, I dart in and out and I’m always seeing the motion of the players two or three steps ahead. That’s how I can get in a lane, jab inside, bait two defenders toward wherever I want them to go or away from where I want to go and then dart through the hole that I just created. It’s physics, really. How else do you think I turned Tyson Chandler into a viable scoring threat? Our whole offense is basically predicated on me manufacturing shots for everyone, giving me the ball so that I can Houdini-up someone a shot. And then, on defense, I’m the tone-setter. I do what AI should be doing. Peja, Mo Pete, David West — they could easily fall victim to lazy defense. That’s why I’m purposely physical and aggressive at the pressure-point.

LeBron: And that’s why you’re so valuable.

Kobe: Yeah. Y’all know I’m a student of the game. I think if folks were honest and smart, they’d agree that Chris is turning in the greatest non-Magic season of any point guard in the history of the game. Forget the ‘72-’73 Tiny or Zeke’s early years or the pre-Barkley KJ years. I mean, you smashed on us with 19, 21 and 3 and 27, 17 and 4 in your two wins over us, this season. And ‘Bron, you and your squad always give me fits.

LeBron: Yeah, I did throw in 33 and 10 and then 41 and 9 — both wins.

Paul: ‘Bron, I like how KG said the East was gonna come down to three teams, meaning the Cs, Detroit and y’all. And everyone knows that. What’s crazy is that the Cs have a championship “team”, so do the Pistons, but with y’all, it’s like, “They have LeBron, so, at the end of the day, no matter what else is going on, they can sneak anyone in a seven-game series.” Now, that’s valuable. But, I’m just gonna be honest here. ‘Bron, you and I both know that Kobe is, not only the best player in the game, but he’s been the most valuable player this year.

LeBron: Yeah…well…nah, you’re right. Even though I wish he’d show me more love, I gotta admit that this is his year.

Kobe: I’m glad we could agree on this. I was waiting for you dudes to come to your senses. See, I’ll admit a lot of things. I admit that you two are the most unique and evolutionary talents in the league. I admit that I’m third when it comes to sheer production. I admit that, when my squad is healthy, my load and burden is lighter than yours. But I look at this MVP thing as an unscientific, loose equation. You begin with however many games the team wins. So say, ‘Bron ends the season with a 45, Chris with a 58 and me with a 56. Then you take the player’s hand in the team’s performance as a percentage. So I’ll give you two both 80% and me 75%.

LeBron: Dude, you think your John Hollinger or something?

Kobe: Just follow me — like you do on Team USA. Those are our base scores. And that’s why, ‘Bron, as wild as you’ve been this season, you just can’t match the collective value that Chris and I bring to our respective squads. We’ve played too well and vitally on teams that have performed much better than the Cavs. But, Chris, when we take it to the abstract realm, that’s when I get you. This nonsense about giving you the award if the Hornets finish first is preposterous! So what if your squad wins one or two more games than L.A.! Why should that determine the MVP? That’s insane and arbitrary rube-talk. Not only have we, the Lakers, dealt with more injuries, not only are we younger; but my team and I began the season under more duress, pressure, turmoil and scrutiny than any team in this league and, perhaps, professional sports. I took a team full of young, scorned, insecure players; plus a stressed management team running from a lynch mob and led them to the top of what might be the most competitive conference in the history of this league. And I did all of this while the world watched, wondering if I was going to bolt or when I would explode and the team would implode. Disaster was only averted because I became MJ Leader/Scorer and Scottie Defender/Facilitator wrapped into one Composite Kobe.

LeBron: I can’t front on you, Big Homey. I used to say, privately, that, if anything made me better than you, it was the fact that I could get more out of my teammates. I would watch Bynum and Vujacic and Odom and say, “I’d utilize those dudes much better than Kobe does.” Not anymore. I like how it almost seems like your first instinct on the pick-n-roll is to hit the big man rubbing off. That makes you so much more dangerous.

Paul: And you seem more nurturing now, too. Farmar used to tell me that you’d make him cry every Thursday. But the other day he texted me and said that he thinks he’s going to be an All-Star playing with you.

Kobe: And at the end of the day, I’m still the illest MFer with a pill.

LeBron: Ugh. It’s annoying ’cause it’s true.

Paul: Kobe For MVP.

LeBron: True.

Kobe: Cool. Yo, Bron, get off that throne. I’m gonna go get my clippers, I need you to give me an edge-up.

Next thing I know, Kobe came back, sat on King James’ throne and made Bron shape him up. Chris asked what was up and Kobe said he had to “get fresh” for Derek Fisher’s 45th Birthday Party — Billy Ocean was performing. Then I woke up to my vibrating phone.

I gotta say that I agree with Kobe, ‘Bron and Chris. This is Kobe’s year. Now it’s up to the “super delegates” to make the right choice.

OC Lakerfan wrote:I've always enjoyed Ailen Voisin's articles from the Sacbee. Thought I would share. I particularly enjoyed the end, which I put in bold.

Link

Ailene Voisin: Kobe deserves MVP nod
By Ailene Voisin - avoisin@sacbee.com

Published 12:00 am PDT Monday, April 7, 2008
Story appeared in SPORTS section, Page C7

He has been part of more turbulent seasons, more dramatic seasons, more intriguing seasons. He has been paired with better centers and surrounded by a superior supporting cast. He has been a champion, and a real chump.

Yet only months after (a) demanding a trade, (b) bailing on his coach and (c) being booed by his hometown fans, Kobe Bryant has morphed into the league's MVP. After all these seasons – and who will forget the very public spat with the super-sensitive Shaquille O'Neal? – the league's best player deserves to be recognized as its MVP.

At age 29, he understands the distinction between great teammate and great player. It isn't about Kobe anymore. It's about the Lakers, the joint venture that toyed with the Kings during their 114-92 victory Sunday night in Arco Arena, the season's success attributable to a variety of factors and the contributions of many.
Click here to find out more!

Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak refused to trade their disgruntled superstar for lesser talents, then swiped Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. Phil Jackson worked effectively behind the scenes, calming his bosses, providing a stabilizing influence inside his locker room, and coaxing productive seasons out of veterans and youngsters alike. And Bryant, admittedly humbled when his bosses obtained Gasol and proved to be prescient about young Andrew Bynum, responded with a degree of leadership that earns superstars the most cherished individual accolade in the game.

"This is the first time since Shaq left that Kobe has elevated the play of the guys around him," said Lakers assistant Brian Shaw, a former teammate of both superstars. "His all-around game has been tremendous. He's still getting his points, but his rebounds are up, his assists are up, and his defense is really good."

And, yet, Bryant could easily lose an MVP race that is as contentious as the Western Conference. Boston's Kevin Garnett has combined with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen to facilitate an historic and complete transformation of the Celtics, but notably, competes in a far weaker conference. LeBron James leads the league in scoring, once again, while lugging around the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers. Chris Paul is enjoying a brilliant season, not only edging ahead of Steve Nash with 11.5 assists per game, but ranking first in steals and among the top 20 in scoring. (Of note: Peja Stojakovic, bad back and all, benefits from a nightly massage.)

"The way the Lakers are playing, the way Kobe is playing, I still say Kobe's the best player," Kings coach Reggie Theus said.

"But Chris Paul … maybe it should come down to which team finishes with the best record."

Perhaps, but I give the nod to Kobe for this reason: Because the Lakers have rejoined the contenders while incorporating Gasol into the lineup, with Bynum (knee) on the sidelines for much of the season, because Lamar Odom and role players named Fisher, Walton, Farmar and Vujacic somehow just seem to fit into the triangle. The Lakers also understand how to entertain.

They move the ball beautifully, eschewing the one-on-one style that doomed the Kings on Sunday. They play with a rhythm, with a clear sense of purpose. They play like a team.

And when they falter? That third quarter last night? There was Kobe, easing into dominance while electrifying the crowd. The 15-footer from the top. The three-pointer from the left. The theft against Spencer Hawes. The two threes from the right. The wing jumper, the assist to Vladimir Radmanovic, the presence, the leadership, the defense.

Jordan. Bird. Magic …

This is Kobe's time, Kobe's turn.

Jordan-esque wrote:Interesting list piled up. Not sure if any of these guys have MVP voting rights (or none) but it's nice to know where most of the media personnel stand:

List of Media Guys For Kobe 4 MVP - Total 32
D. Aldridge (TNT), A. Aldridge (NBATV), C. Barkely (TNT), M. Stein (ESPN), D. Thorpe (ESPN), C. Broussard (ESPN), F. Isola (NBATV), R. Kamla (NBATV), F. Carter (NBATV), S. A. Smith (ESPN), D. Dupree (SI.com), R. Miller (TNT), P. Forrester (SI), I. Thompsen (SI), M. Burns (SI), M. Brooks (NBA.com), M. Jackson (ABC), J. Rose (ESPN), B. Walton (ESPN), B. Plaschke (LA Times), M. Kriegel (FOX), R. Mahorn (NBATV), J. Mashburn (ESPN), T. Legler (yup you read right, ESPN), J. Schuhman (NBA.com), J. McCullum (SI), Eddie Johnson (InsideHoops), M. Albert (TNT), M. Kahn (FOX), D. Neimann (WSH Post), Sam Smith (CHI Tribune), Michelle Tafoya (ESPN)

List of Media Guys For Lebron 4 MVP - Total 7
J. Hollinger (ESPN), B. Simmons (ESPN), J.A. Adande (ESPN), K. Dwyer (Yahoo), D. Collins (TNT), R. Siler (LA Daily), Jalen Rose (ESPN)

List of Media Guys on the fence (or other candidate)
C. Sheridan (ESPN) - might be on the Kobe camp since he plays down Lebron
H. Abbot (ESPN) - might be on the Lebron camp but hasn't been consistent about it
J. Barry (ESPN) - 1st said it was Kobe, now saying Lebron, flip-flopper
K. Smith (TNT) - 1st said Kobe, now saying week by week with Lebron this week
M. Toriko (ESPN) - Kobe/Lebron
Jamelle Hill (ESPN) - Once a Kobe camper, now in Camp Paul


* updated frequently *
http://www.clublakers.com/forums/list-o ... 91292.html

nn4299 wrote:4/14 UPDATE

List of Media Guys For Kobe 4 MVP - Total 16
A. Wojnarowski (Yahoo); K. Smith (TNT); R. Bucher (ESPN); S. Jackson (ESPN); A. Voisin (Sacbee); V. Thomas (Slamonline); S. Smith (Chicago Tribune); C. Broussard (ESPN); M.Stein (ESPN); A. Aldridge (NBATV); A. Abdelnbay (NBATV); M. Monroe (SA Express-News); M. Jackson (ABC); S. A. Smith (ESPN); C. McCosky (Detroit News) D. Moore (Dallas Morning News)

List of Media Guys For CP3 4 MVP - Total 9
J. Hollinger (ESPN); J. Hill (ESPN); W. Blatt (The Sports Network); J. Zgoda (Minn Star Tribune); J. Reid (The Times-Picayune); J. Barry (ESPN); J. Van Gundy (ABC); S. Bulpett (Boston Herald); Mitch Lawrence(NY Daily News)

List of Media Guys based on record (K. Bryant’s Lakers in lead): T. Legler (ESPN); J.A. Adande (ESPN); C. Barkely (TNT); R. Kamla (NBATV); E. Sefko (Dallas Morning News); B. Simmons (ESPN); M. Wilbon (ABC); P. Vecsey (NY Post); F. Isola (NY Daily News)

List of Media Guys for other candidates:
B. Schmitz (Orlando Sentinel) - K. Garnett
D. Dupree (SI.com) - K. Garnett
Peter May (Boston Globe) - K.Garnett
Mike Fine (The Patriot Ledger) - K.Garnett
M. Johnson (NY Sun) - L. James

So if the season were to end today with the records as they are, the voting would look like this:

Kobe: 25 votes
CP3: 9 votes
KG: 4 votes
LBJ: 1 vote

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

20 of 125 media members confirmed with actual votes

1.) Ernie Johnson (TNT) - ???
2.) David DuPree (SI.Com) - KG
3.) Lang Whitaker (Slamonline) - Down to KB24 or CP3
4.) Jack Ramsay (ESPN Radio) - ???
5.) Chris Broussard (ESPN) - KB24
6.) Chris McCosky (Detroit News) - KB24
7.) Sam Smith (Chicago Tribune) - KB24
8.) A. Sherrod Blakely (Booth Newspapers) - CP3
9.) Brian Schmitz (Orlando Sentinel) - KG
10.) Mike Wilbon (ABC) - CP3
11.) Marc Stein (ESPN) - KB24
12.) Mike Monroe (SA Express-News) - KB24
13.) Peter Vecsey (NY Post) - Down to KB24 or CP3
14.) Stephen A. Smith (ESPN) - KB24
15.) Steve Bulpett (Boston Herald) - CP3
16.) Branson Wright (Cleveland Plain Dealer) - ???
17.) David Moore ( Dallas Morning News) - KB24
18.) Peter May (Boston Globe) - KG
19.) Mitch Lawrence (NY Daily News) - CP3
20.) Mike Fine (The Patriot Ledger) - KG

The LA Times wrote:Some voters might simply select Kobe Bryant or New Orleans guard Chris Paul as the league's most valuable player based on which team finishes better in the West, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

"I think winning the West is probably going to be the most important thing as far as that goes. It's going to have a big influence," said Jackson, who has reiterated his support for Bryant numerous times over the last few weeks. But Jackson acknowledged that Paul was also playing at a high level: "I think that Chris has certainly vaulted into that position where he seriously has to be considered."

The Lakers usually let the fortunes of their players rest on their own achievements, but the team took the added step of sending out pro-Bryant material to NBA writers around the league.

The material was based on an old-style political election campaign and consisted of bumper stickers, campaign buttons, red suspenders and a letter from "campaign manager" Jerry Buss, who urged writers to vote for Bryant.

"From the owner on down, the organization feels that Kobe has had a season worthy of an MVP award," said Tim Harris, the Lakers' chief marketing officer and senior vice president of business operations. "Sending this out is not something we have historically done, but his performance and leadership warrants it."

MVP ballots are due when the regular season ends. The winner is usually announced during the second round of the playoffs, in mid-May.

Of 21 NBA writers polled informally by Mark Heisler, The Times' NBA columnist, 10 selected Bryant, eight selected Paul, two picked Boston forward Kevin Garnett and one chose James.

With an increased number of newspapers withdrawing from voting because of potential conflict-of-interest issues, only six of the 21 planned to vote this season. (Three chose Bryant and three chose Paul.) The Times will not vote for an MVP.

KareemTheGreat33 wrote:Well, I just hope that eight months of positive press can prevail over years of venomous media hate...

If Kobe can't win it now, I don't think he can win it ever...

I like Yahoo's Woj what's his face MVP article the most...

scarpetta wrote:A win against Hornets will do the job even if we can't take the first seed.

Vasashi17 wrote:Elie Seckbach Video

Elie Sechbach in a video asked if players knew more than the media - Pau and Ira explain that Kobe is already the MVP of the Lakers, but should get league wide recognition..."he's due"

The rest of the video goes deeper into knowing Ira. He believes Kobe is better than Bron. However Bron one day might average a triple double, cause he's that good. He calls Pau a tall Spanish dancer. He also believes Ronny is the nicest Laker on the team.

List of Media Guys For Kobe 4 MVP - Total 8
A. Wojnarowski (Yahoo); K. Smith (TNT); R. Bucher (ESPN); S. Jackson (ESPN); A. Voisin (Sacbee); V. Thomas (Slamonline); S. Smith (Chicago Tribune); C. Broussard (ESPN)

List of Media Guys For CP3 4 MVP - Total 2
J. Hollinger (ESPN); J. Hill (ESPN)

List of Media Guys based on record (C. Paul’s Hornets in lead): T. Legler (ESPN); J.A. Adande (ESPN); C. Barkely (TNT); J. Barry (ESPN

List of Media Guys for other candidates:
C. McCosky (Detroit News) - L. James
B. Schmitz (Orlando Sentinel) - K. Garnett

LA Times wrote:With the NBA regular season close to an end, supporters of the Lakers' Kobe Bryant should feel good about his chances of winning the league's Bryant is given 1-2 odds to end his MVP drought with Paul listed at 1-1, according to Sportsbetting.com.

So if a Bryant fan bet $100 and won, they would get $50 back. A wager of $100 on Paul would pay $100 if the Hornets' point guard took home the honor.

In a way, this is a great come-from-behind story for Bryant, who before the NBA All-Star break received his biggest MVP support from in-game chants yelled by nonvoting fans.

But Bryant's stock began to climb after Boston's Kevin Garnett -- regarded as the front-runner to win the MVP award for the first half of the season -- missed a chunk of games because of injury.

Garnett, who has helped Boston earn the league's best overall record this season, has also been hurt by the Celtics' dominant play and blowout wins. After averaging 20.4 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists in his career, Garnett's numbers have dropped to 18.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists this season.

Another plus for Bryant has been the surprising drop in support for Cleveland's LeBron James.

Although James is having the best season of his career and has an opportunity to average 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists (which would be the first time any player did that since Michael Jordan in 1998-99), his status has leveled since the All-Star break.

James is listed at 5-1 to win the MVP award, while Garnett is at 8-1. The only other players in the running are Orlando's Dwight Howard at 30-1 and Phoenix's Steve Nash, who is also listed at 30-1 by Sportsbook.com.

Bryant supporters should note that he also had favorable odds to win the league's prestigious award at this point last season. But in the end, Bryant came up short and Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki was named MVP.

Kobe Bryant happy to be a Los Angeles Laker and a leading MVP candidate
5 hours ago

LOS ANGELES — Just last spring, an incensed Kobe Bryant was the NBA's most vocal player, demanding to be traded by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Now, nearing the end of what he calls his most satisfying regular season, Bryant is among the leading candidates for another MVP moniker: Most Valuable Player.

"It would be special. It would be a tremendous honour," Bryant said in a recent interview.

This MVP monicker, obviously, is more preferable for all concerned. Outside of his dealings with NBA officials, who have slapped the all-star guard with a league-high 15 technical fouls this season, Bryant seems awfully content these days.

"I'm very happy," he said. "It's tough to find a group like this that plays so well together.

"This is really a brotherhood. We're really, really close, all of us. We're brothers, man."

That would have been the last observation ever expected from Bryant after Los Angeles lost to the Phoenix Suns in last year's playoffs. In the wake of the Lakers' second straight first-round elimination, Bryant first challenged the team to upgrade its roster and later asked to be traded.

Shortly thereafter, there was an amateur videotape made public in which Bryant criticized general manager Mitch Kupchak and demeaned teammate Andrew Bynum. Bryant kept a low profile the rest of the summer. He said all the right things during training camp in October until Lakers owner Jerry Buss, in his first public comments about Bryant since the trade demand, told reporters he was doing all he could to honour the request.

That upset Bryant again, but he swore when the season began he would focus on the task at hand. That's what he's done, and the Lakers have been one of the NBA's surprise teams despite having to deal with a number of injuries, including a torn ligament in Bryant's right pinkie. Even though surgery was recommended, he hasn't missed a game.

"Best year ever as far as an overall team player," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said regarding Bryant. "I think the judgment that I kind of make is, how much better do you make your teammates?

"This has been one of Kobe's finest years in that regard."

That's a source of great pride to Bryant, a 12-year NBA veteran despite being only 29.

"That's always been a knock on me, that I don't make my teammates better," he said. "It used to be that the MVP award always went to the players who were considered the best.

"Now, it's more about elevating the players around you."

Phoenix's Steve Nash of Victoria, the epitome of elevating his teammates, won the MVP award two straight years before Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki won it last year.

This year's winner figures to be Bryant, Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers or Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics.

"I just think this league is overdue to give Kobe Bryant his just due," Houston's Rafer Alston said. "After what happened last summer, the way he's come back and the way he's led his team this year, I would say he's my MVP."

Bryant agreed with his coach, that this has been his best regular season. And that's saying something since Bryant is a 10-time all-star who along with Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers to three championships, from 2000 to '02, and was the NBA's scoring champion each of the past two years.

"I would say so," Bryant said. "It's a different role for me this year.

"I'm enjoying it, we seem to be thriving. It's all about winning. In the past, I've tried to do what it takes. We've made some big upgrades, it's given me weapons. A lot of my peers have had those weapons."

The most obvious upgrades have been Derek Fisher, signed during the off-season, and Pau Gasol, acquired Feb. 1 from Memphis. The Lakers already had Bynum, Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic - all former first-round draft choices - when Bryant exploded last spring.

All three, especially the 20-year-old Bynum, have shown great improvement this season, but the seven-foot centre hasn't played since injuring his left knee Jan. 13. Another talented newcomer, Trevor Ariza, has been sidelined since breaking his right foot Jan. 20. In addition, Gasol returned recently after missing nine games because of a sprained right ankle.

Through it all, the Lakers have kept winning and stayed in contention for the regular-season championship of the rugged Western Conference.

"With the injuries and everything that's happened, he gets my vote," Fisher said. "I don't think he's been phenomenal in Kobe standards.

"He could average 40 points a game if he wanted to."

Bryant is doing pretty well statistically, averaging 28.7 points to rank second behind James; 6.4 rebounds; 5.4 assists, and 1.9 steals.

"He's had a great impact on our team from an emotional and a chemistry aspect," Fisher said. "He continues to get more comfortable leading the team.

"I think he's made the transition from being the best individual player in the league to still the best player in the game and one of the best to play with."

While it might seem surprising that Bryant has never won an MVP award, it's really no surprise at all.

"With Shaq on his team for (eight) of those years, basically Kobe was going to be a second choice as far as the most valuable player on that team," Jackson said. "Since that time, not making the playoffs the subsequent year, there wasn't an opportunity.

"The following year, he really had an exceptional year, he led the league in scoring. He had some outrageous games. ... That was the year that he could have been named MVP, but with Nash coming and the really unbelievable season Phoenix had, you had to consider that as a factor."

While Bryant talked about the season and his MVP chances in a nearly empty Lakers dressing room after a recent game, his wife and two daughters suddenly appeared because four-year-old Natalia needed to use the bathroom.

With a big smile as an MVP - most valuable poppa - Bryant took Natalia's hand and the two headed off

Massacre wrote:TNT had an Insider segment tonight. Kenny Smith still has Kobe as his MVP ... but he also has Chris Paul. That's right, co-MVP's. Which brings me to the question: is that possible?

Barkley stuck with Paul. That knucklehead (pun intended) brought up that when Nash won, Kobe was the best player in the game, when Dirk won, Kobe was the best player in the game -- now he states that nothing has changed and Paul is his choice, but Kobe is the best player in the game. Is he overlooking the fact that the Lakers have finally surpassed the 50 plus wins mark? Hasn't that been the only knock on Kobe these past couple of seasons?

Note: Not to turn this into a Barkley-hate post -- he said he wouldn't have a problem with Kobe winning it.