Former NBA Star Makes Major Jayson Tatum Statement

There has never been official criteria for the NBA’s MVP award. Many argue it should be the best player on the best team that season, while others argue it should simply be the best overall player in the league that season regardless of team success. The winner seems to land somewhere in the middle most years, as the award typically goes to the player with the best combination of numbers, team success, and overall impact.

During a recent episode of his Gil’s Arena show, former NBA star and Memphis Grizzlies guard Gilbert Arenas called out the NBA for what he feels is inconsistency around the MVP award.

“You tell them to not be selfish and play for yourself because we’re not gonna give you the [MVP], that’s what they did with Kobe [Bryant]… Like a Jayson Tatum… I’m sacrificing my 35, 30-something points to win. My team has been number one damn near every year. You haven’t even let me sniff it.”

“You tell them to not be selfish and play for yourself because we’re not gonna give you the NBA, that’s what they did with Kobe [Bryant]…Like a Jayson Tatum…I’m sacrificing my 35-37 points to WIN. My team has been number one every year. You haven’t even let me sniff it.”

Gil… pic.twitter.com/9YY8Bjglvm
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) May 9, 2024

Arenas also brought up Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who took his team to the first seed in the Western Conference this season, but finished second in MVP voting to Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. The Boston Celtics have been at or near the top of the Eastern Conference several times in recent years, and while Tatum hasn’t had the same level of individual production that other MVP candidates have, Arenas is arguing that winning should be rewarded.

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