Considering that LeBron James was still facing an uphill battle when the National Basketball Association suspended the 2019-20 season in the middle of March, the decision not to include the upcoming seeding games in voters’ consideration for individual awards all but formalizes Giannis Antetokounmpo’s claim to the Maurice Podoloff Trophy. Forget that the 16-time All-Star managed to put together an outstanding run after the break; he normed an even 30 markers (on 55% shooting from the field), 8.2 caroms, and 9.4 dimes in steering the Lakers to an 8-2 slate. For all his exertions during the run (including against such notables as the Clippers, Bucks, and Celtics), he failed to definitively bridge the gap the reigning Most Valuable Player built early on.
Under the circumstances, James was right to focus on things he can influence, and to note the uselessness of delving in those he can’t. “I’m not disappointed because things happen,” he said in his scheduled virtual presser yesterday. “You control what you can control, and I can’t control” the schedule disrupted by the novel coronavirus pandemic. In any case, he argued, he has done more than enough to make his case for the accolade. “I think that I’ve shown what I’m capable of doing. Not only individually, but from a team’s perspective, us being Number One in the West.”
James was, needless to say, aiming to counter criticism that he built his body of work — which includes an eye-popping eight straight trips to the Finals — while situated in the so-called Leastern Conference. “To be able to have our team at the top of the Western Conference and playing the way that we were playing at that time and the way I was playing, it’s definitely a good feeling,” he disclosed. And the numbers do bear him out: he figures to be just the sixth player in league annals to post 25 and 10 for a whole season, and the oldest ever to top the assists category for the first time.
The flipside, of course, is that the Bucks aren’t merely pacing the East. Starring the ultra-efficient Antetokounmpo, they’re ahead of everyone else in the standings. They’re likewise heavily favored to make the Finals. Meanwhile, the Lakers need to deal with a crowd en route, and while stripped of the definite homecourt advantage the Staples Center would have provided. James isn’t fazed, though; he’s determined to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy when all is said and done, and not simply because he’s an old 35 with a fast-closing window of opportunity.
Will James be able to add a fifth MVP hardware to his mantel this year? The answer is no. Will he be able to get a fourth ring, instead? It’s much less clear, at least to those from the outside looking in. As far as he’s concerned, it’s already his to lose.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and Human Resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
