LeBron on MVP: 'I played well enough to win it,' but team didn't
The two-time defending NBA Most Valuable Player has been gracious in passing off the MVP award to Kevin Durant, who accepted the award on Tuesday.
James expressed that Durant was a deserving winner and that Durant was more consistent throughout the season, both of which are fair points and not untrue. James still had a very, very good season, however, something he reminded everyone of on Tuesday:
LeBron on MVP: "I think I played well enough to win it, but I don't think our team played well enough to win it."
— Ethan J. Skolnick (@EthanJSkolnick) May 7, 2014
James' Miami Heat still finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 54-28 record, good for the fifth-best record in the NBA. However, Durant's Thunder won 59 games and had the league's second-best mark.
What's more, here are the team win totals for MVPs since 2000: 66 (James), 57 (James, prorated), 62 (Derrick Rose), 61 (James), 66 (James), 57 (Kobe Bryant), 67 (Dirk Nowitzki), 54 (Steve Nash), 62 (Nash), 58 (Kevin Garnett), 60 (Tim Duncan), 58 (Duncan), 56 (Allen Iverson), 67 (Shaquille O'Neal).
It seems as if James' win total of 54 simply falls at the bottom of what voters have recently considered an acceptable range.
Of course, James will gladly trade in a fifth MVP for a third title, so if the Heat resting players and down-shifting for the regular season helps to that end, it will have been worth it.