LeBron James has nothing but respect for Stephen Curry and claims there was no debate over his being named MVP.
They may be competitors on the court, but they have respect for each other off of it. Even though there’s a good chance that LeBron James and Stephen Curry will meet in the Finals for a second straight year, James still took the time to acknowledge Curry’s historic season, and that he deserved to be named the unanimous MVP.
When speaking to the Akron Beach Journal, he remarked that Curry “averaged 30, he led the league in steals, he was 90-50-40 and they won 73 (games). Do you have any debate over that, really, when it comes to that award?”
However, he did also say that there’s a big discrepancy when it comes to the difference between the best player in the league and the most valuable. Without trying to take away from Curry’s award, that’s clearly a sign that James still holds himself as the best player in the NBA.
Of course, LeBron has been a dominant force ever since he came into the league, and there was a period where there was no doubt that he was the best in the NBA, even if he didn’t win the MVP award every year. But with Curry’s rise, LeBron’s status as the best in the game has been brought into question, and many believe that he’s taken a backseat.
It’s also a great testament to James’ skill that he’s taken his team this far despite firing their coach in midseason. You don’t make it to five straight NBA Finals, as well as take the Cavaliers back there in your first season back, by accident. So perhaps LeBron is more valuable to his team than Curry is, but there was no denying Curry the award after the season he and his team had.
If LeBron is able to take down the Warriors in the Finals, then perhaps he can reclaim the title of the league’s best player, but for now, the ball is firmly on Curry’s side of the court.
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