LeBron James Favored To Win Finals MVP, According To Betting Site
LeBron James, who is in his 17th season in the NBA, is favored to win his fourth Finals MVP next month.
According to BetMGM, James is the -125 favorite to win the award, ahead of Anthony Davis (+260) and Jimmy Butler (+330).
James, who was the runner-up for the MVP award this season behind Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, acknowledged being "pissed off" that he only received 16 first-place votes.
James, 35, averaged 25.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and a league-leading 10.6 assists this season, helping the Lakers reach the postseason for the first time since 2013 and clinch the Western Conference for the first time since 2010.
Behind James, the Lakers won all three of their playoffs series in five games to advance to The Finals against the Miami Heat.
They're four wins away from their first NBA championship since 2010, when Kobe Bryant led the team to his fifth and final title.
James has averaged 26.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists in the playoffs.
In the Lakers' 117-107 win over the Denver Nuggets in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday, James had 38 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists. He scored nine-straight points in the final 4 minutes of the fourth quarter, finishing with 16 points in the period.
After the medal ceremony Saturday, James said he's honored to help restore the 16-time NBA champion Lakers to greatness.
"This is what I came here for," James said. "I heard all the conversations and everything that was said about why did I decide to come to L.A, the reason I came to L.A., it was not about basketball. All those conversations, just naysayers and things of that nature. I understood that, with the season I had last year and my injury, it just gave them more sticks and more wood to throw in the fire to continue to say the things that they would say about me. But it never stopped my journey and never stopped my mindset and never stopped by goal."
