LeBron James exploded on Monday night. A 61 point eruption, leading the Heat to a thumping of the Charlotte Bobcats, 124-107. This was his third game wearing the new facemask that protects his nose, which he broke in a contest earlier last week against the Thunder (a game in which he also was scoring at a prolific rate.
For much of this season, Kevin Durant has made a case for unseating LeBron James as the reigning MVP of the league. Druant’s own offensive exploits have led the Thunder to a top seed in the Western Conference, carrying the team while Russell Westbrook was out with an injury. The ever-secondary star is finally attempting to take what many believe to be his “rightful” spot alongside James as the best in the business.
That is, of course, until LeBron went off. He has scored 30 or more points in six of his last seven games, and is leading the Heat to another long win streak. For yet another season, James is launching the Heat into viable contention for their third straight championship, again despite the injuries that have caused missed time for Dwayne Wade.
LeBron has only won the scoring championship one time, in 2007-2008. Durant has won it 3 times. Carmelo Anthony has won one, Dwayne Wade has won one, Kobe Bryant has done it a few times. When looking at LeBron’s game, though, it is pretty easy to see why he may not be padding the stat-line: LeBron would rather win the ring than win the hardware.
In 2010, when LeBron James made a public spectacle of his decision to “take (his) talents to South Beach,” he made it very known that he was taking a little bit less money, instead favoring a chance at a championship. If James was interested in winning scoring titles, he would have stayed in Cleveland, where that is the only kind of champion that really belongs.
The NBA already suffers from a focus too much on players, rather than the success of a team or organization. This only makes the number of showboat players, looking to beef up their own personal record book (Carmelo Anthony is a perfect example) all the more prevalent. LeBron James doesn’t fit that mold. He is an all-around player who does what it takes to succeed. One night, he’ll lead the team in points. The next, he’ll be an assist machine, spreading things around.
No player is as explosive and purely entertaining as King James. No player is more influential to his team. No player can create a stat bio like James. There may be other players who excel at one element of the game in better ways, but it is the holistic playing experience that makes James a player without comparison.
The Most Valuable Player in the NBA is, has been, and will continue to be LeBron James. He doesn’t care about the hardware though. He is having too much fun playing the game to be focused on winning a personal award. He also has his eyes set on a much bigger prize: a third ring.
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