Hoops Nation

It’s not yet official but this really isn’t a surprise either.

LeBron James is going to be named the NBA MVP, a source has told the Associated Press.

LeBron was the clear frontrunner for the award after a fantastic statistical season, averaging 27.1 points
while shooting 53.1 percent on the year, and he had a league-best PER of 30.7. Simply, he stepped up and took on a larger role on offense and defense for the Heat and still had a more efficient season.

This would be LeBron’s third MVP award. It’s an elite group, the only others to do that are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone.

I can hear LeBron’s haters now — it doesn’t matter until he wins a title. All the other people on that list have a title. That’s true for the public perception of him in this moment. But if (really, when) he wins one or two, these MVPs will be a strong part of his legacy as one of the all time elite players.

Via (NBCSports/Kurt Helin)