Heat's LeBron James named Most Valuable Player
LeBron James, center, receives the 2013 MVP trophy from Erik Spoelstra and Pat Riley. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images)
The NBA announced Sunday that Heat forward LeBron James has been named the 2013 Most Valuable Player, the fourth time he's won the award during his career. The selection was not unanimous.
"I just try to be the best player on the court every single night when I step on the floor," James said at a press conference in Miami. "This really doesn't mean much to me. I'm humbled. I'm happy about it. I wish there were 15 of these [trophies] up here because this great group of guys allows me to be the MVP each and every night."
James received 1,207 points and 120 out of a possible 121 first-place votes, with Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony receiving one vote. James beat out, in order: Thunder forward Kevin Durant (765 points), Anthony (475 points), Clippers guard Chris Paul (289 points) and Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (184 points). Full results are below.
"It was probably a writer out of New York who didn't give me that vote," James said of Anthony's first-place vote. "We know the history between the Heat and Knicks so I get it."
The nine-time All-Star emerged as the landslide favorite for his second consecutive MVP as he led Miami to a league-best 66-16 record that included a 27-game winning streak. James averaged 26.8 points, 8 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.7 steals and shot a career-high 56.5 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from deep on the season.
James, 28, led the league in Player Efficiency Rating for the sixth straight season and finished second in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. James was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month in November, December, January, February and March.
Back in April, FoxSportsFlorida.com reported James' thoughts on possibly becoming one of just five players to win the award at least four times, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Bill Russell (five), Michael Jordan (five) and Wilt Chamberlain (four).
"Anytime I’m mentioned with the greatest players to play the game or people period, it is a wow factor because I grew up and studied those guys and watched those guys, and a few of those guys were my inspiration growing up," James said.
Here's the full voting tally.
The Point Forward's Rob Mahoney laid out the case for James as MVP this season and an SI.com panel unanimously selected him for the award in April.
