Lakers Coach Frank Vogel Says He Was 'A Little Bit' Surprised LeBron James Didn't Win MVP
Lakers coach Frank Vogel acknowledged being a bit taken aback that LeBron James didn't win the Most Valuable Player Award.
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo won the award for the second-straight season, receiving 85 of 101 first-place votes. James, who finished second, only received 16 first-place votes.
Before Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Denver Nuggets on Friday, a reporter asked Vogel if he was surprised by the lopsidedness of the votes.
"A little bit, yeah," Vogel said in a videoconference. "You guys all know how I feel about it. To me, he's the MVP of the league this year. No disrespect to Giannis. Giannis had a great season. He's a great player. What LeBron does for our team, to me, is unparalleled.
"To carry the threat of going for 40 at any point, but leading the league in assists, and quarterbacking our defense, and driving our team to as many wins as we've had and our playoff success; to me, he's our MVP. I understand how the voting goes and, quite frankly, our whole group -- and I'm sure LeBron would echo this -- is focused on something bigger than any individual accolades. We have a mindset to compete for a championship. We're in a position where we're down to four teams, and that's really where our whole focus is."
The MVP award only included games played through March 11, when the season was suspended because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
James, 35, averaged 25.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and a league-leading 10.6 assists. He helped the Lakers reach the postseason for the first time since 2013.
Antetokounmpo, 25, averaged 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists. He had the highest player efficiency rating in league history at 31.86.
Vogel said he thinks the MVP award is "important," but added what happens in the postseason matters much more.
James has led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in 10 years.
The Bucks, meanwhile, were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat, who won their series, 4-1.
"They all want to be the best," Vogel said. "So I think it's important to them. But the end of the day, the true great ones really only care about championships. I don't want to speak for LeBron, but my sense is that's where his mind is; that the championship is the only real thing that matters."
