Voting for the 2020 NBA MVP will start on July 21 and the results to be announced soon. Two names have emerged as the top contenders - Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers. Unsurprisingly, the latter is favored by Lakers stars old and new.
Going by the stats mustered by both during the disrupted regular season, the numbers are expected to work for the younger Antetokounmpo. His performance speaks volumes: 30 points per game, 14 rebounds, and six assists. And it's hard to argue that the rising superstar will be a juggernaut in the NBA soon.
Antetokounmpo's efforts are working wonders for the Bucks as the team boasts of the best campaign records before the season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Milwaukee is a solid candidate to win the NBA crown this year and most of the credit goes to The Greek Freak, thus making him a valuable component indeed.
However, Anthony Davis is picking King James as the league MVP for the season because of the latter's continued dominance considering he is playing for 17 straight years in the league. James is already 35 but AD said nothing much has changed.
"He's playing like one of his best years ... The things he's able to do on the floor, especially when everybody was saying he washed and should hang it up and all this," Clutch Points reported Davis as saying.
The most amazing part of James has been doing is his consistency. Davis noted that the King plays the same level each night and it has been the narrative since the Lakers superstar.
Davis said: "I think it's a good argument for him to be MVP."
Magic Johnson has the same viewpoint. The Lakers legend is batting for James to win the honor this season and for two reasons. The King has impressive stats and for his hard work, the Lakers are on top of the Western Conference and well-positioned to win an NBA title after years of frustrations.
James provided too that much-needed leadership that his team lacks in the previous seasons.
"He is almost averaging a triple-double ... His defense has been amazing and there is no better leader in sports," CBS Sports reported Johnson as saying.
The seeding games in Orlando will have no bearing on the MVP voting and it means that James and Antetokounmpo will slug it out by the numbers already turned in. So the judgment will boil down on who among the two made the best impact not only on the cause of his team but also on the league as well.
If James gets the nod, it will be MVP No. 5 for him while Antetokounmpo stands to win his second in a row, which likely will not be his last.
