Why Kobe Bryant Deserved the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award This Season (07-08)

Kobe Bryant may have not had the greatest statistical year of his career, but that was not the obvious reason for voters around the world.

Bryant averaged 28.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg, and 5.4 apg, and these numbers are superb, but the fact that Bryant changed his game around by including his teammates more makes this an easy decision. Bryant has had better statistical seasons, which would include more assists per game, but Bryant changes his game around in other ways, and this is true because of the Laker's success this season.

Perhaps the voters also put in the back of their minds that Bryant injured his pinkie finger in February, and still played at the same level that he usually plays at. Bryant's dedication to the game of basketball is unbelievable, everytime he steps foot on the court, he always puts on a great show, which also includes every teammate that is on the court as him. Bryant's hand specialist recommended that he have immediate surgery, but he decided to put it off until after the Olympics this summer.

There have been seasons where Bryant has averaged over 30 ppg, nearly 7 rpg, and nearly 6 apg, but he hadn't even cracked the top two for the MVP. Now this could have been because he was a lot younger, or that he didn't really include his team all that much. The fact of the matter is, seeing that Bryant is now 29 years old, he has become a pure threat in the NBA, and there is no-one that can argue that. Bryant was second in the league this season in points per game behind Cleveland's superstar Lebron James.

During the Denver/Laker series this year, Bryant averaged a whopping 33.5 ppg, as the Lakers swept the Nuggets. Bryant commented on his performance in the 1st round of the playoffs and his overall game by saying "I just do whatever we have to do to win." During the first game of the second round, Bryant lead the Lakers with 38 points and a 109-98 victory over the Utah Jazz. It's no surprise that the Lakers are the hottest team right now, and that they should make the finals easy, but they have to continue playing at the level in which they are playing at.

According to NBA.com and many other sources, Bryant is reportedly supposed to be named the MVP later today (Tuesday, May 6th). Bryant would be joining three other former Laker greats, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin (Magic) Johnson and Shaquille (Shaq) O'Neal. "It's a great honour," Bryant commented, but we all had to know that this was eventually coming for him.

It's funny because Bryant was being fairly modest during his interview by stating, "I'm very thankful for it. I didn't know if it was going to come or it was going to happen in my career. But to have that moment come now is special, especially to share it with the group of guys we have here. It is nice. We talked about [how] winning this MVP is extremely special because that means I'm doing good. I'm making my teammates better, putting them in a position to win."

Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all-time in my honest opinion, but if any player were to come extremely close to the man, the myth, the legend; well then it would simply be Kobe Bryant, and I totally mean that. Michael Jordan was his own man, and he changed the game completely, but eventually an athlete has to get older to the point where they must retire. Currently, Bryant is the most dominant player in the NBA, and it's a very competitive league no doubt.