In this season, LeBron James is truly having a comeback season for the ages, averaging 25 points, 11.1 assists, and 7.9 rebounds.
Is this enough for the king to win his 5th MVP and tie Michael Jordan in the number of MVPs?
Well, after LeBron James had his 5th triple-double of the season against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he certainly made a case. James became the only player in NBA history to put up a triple-double against all 30 NBA teams. But, why is this so important? The NBA is a superstar driven league, where many times a good narrative or story ends up with the MVP trophy. And what better story than LeBron James coming back of a disappointing season averaging a double-double for the first time in his career, doing all of this in year 17, which is unprecedented.
It’s clear that one of the most impressive aspects of LeBron is his durability, and he is displaying all of it this season. He has played all of the Lakers games so far, he is leading the league in assists, he is 6th in the league in defensive win shares, and is ranked 7th in the league for PER(player efficiency rating) per basketball reference. Those are MVP type numbers, but they are other players who are also putting up a case.
James Harden is averaging 38.4 points to go along with 7.5 assists. Those numbers are really hard to maintain but if Harden is capable of doing so then it would be hard for the voters to not give him the MVP. Giannis is averaging 30 points and 14 rebounds. Those numbers are better from last year where he won the MVP. And finally, Luka Doncic, who is having a breakout season averaging 30 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 9.4 assists.
This will surely be an exciting NBA season, where LeBron James will look to make history trying to capture his 5th MVP.
The question would be: can LeBron keep up these numbers and lead the Lakers to the best record in the NBA?
Featured Image: Ronald Martinez, AFP
