King James grabs third NBA MVP award

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Published time: May 12, 2012 09:39
Edited time: May 12, 2012 13:39

LeBron James has been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the third time, joining the elite club of the game's all-time greats.

Only seven other players – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Moses Malone – have at least three MVP trophies.

King James averaged 27.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists. Add his 53 percent shooting and 1.9 steals per game into the mix, and you will see how great he has been in the last few months.

Only Michael Jordan had a season with numbers exceeding these figures. In 1988-89 His Airness averaged 32.5 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and 2.9 steals on 54 percent shooting. However, that turned out not to be enough to become the MVP that year, as Magic Johnson snatched the trophy instead.

James noted last week that while another MVP award “would be amazing and humbling,” it's not what drives him. With nine NBA seasons behind him James has yet to grab a champion’s ring.

This season it seems he has got everything he needs to claim an NBA title. With Eastern Conference favorites the Chicago Bulls out of the play-offs, James’s Miami Heat look a safe bet to become the best team in the East. Last year, they lost the ultimate series to the Dallas Mavericks. Will this year’s campaign turn out more successful?