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Who's the NBA MVP?
By Bill Simmons
Page 2

I concentrate on three questions:

1. Ten years from now, who will be the first player from this season that
pops into my head?

2. In a giant pickup game with every NBA player waiting to play, and two
fans forced to pick sides with their lives depending on the outcome of the
game (I think this is how the annual Rucker League tournament works), who
would be the first player picked based on the way everyone played that
season?

3. If you replaced every MVP candidate with a decent player at their
position for the entire season, what would be the effect on their teams'
records?

Kobe Bryant
You don't know how much this kills me. Actually, you probably do. But
Mamba passes all three MVP questions …

Question No. 1: When remembering this season 10 years from now, which
player will pop into your head first?

Answer: Kobe. The dude scored 62 in three quarters against Dallas, then 81
against Toronto a few weeks later. He's about to become the fifth player
in NBA history to average 35 points a game (along with Wilt, MJ, Elgin and
Rick Barry). He made up with Shaq. He made up with Phil. He made up with
Nike. He appeared on the cover of Slam Magazine with a Mamba snake wrapped
around him. He did everything but make the obligatory cameo on “Will and
Grace.” No player took more abuse from writers, broadcasters and radio
hosts this season, but Kobe seemed to feed off that negative energy. It
was almost Bondsian. And just when it kept seeming like he might wear
down, he'd toss up another 50 just to keep you on your toes. Kobe was
relentless. That's the best way to describe him this season.

Question No. 2: In the proverbial giant pickup game with every NBA player
waiting to play, who would be the first player picked this season?

Answer: Kobe. He's the best all-around player in the league, the best
scorer, the best competitor, and the one guy who terrifies everyone else.
Plus, if you DIDN'T pick him, he would make it his mission to haunt you on
the other team.

Question No. 3: If you replaced every MVP candidate with a decent player
at their position for the entire season, what would be the effect on their
teams' records?

Answer: If you replaced Kobe with a decent 2-guard (someone like Jamal
Crawford) for the entire 2005-06 Lakers season, they would have won
between 15 and 20 games. I can say that in complete confidence. Terrible
team. When Smush Parker and Kwame Brown are your third- and fourth-best
players, you shouldn't even be allowed to watch the playoffs on TV. Throw
Kobe in the mix and they're headed for 45 wins. So he's been worth 25
victories for them. Minimum.

In a weird way, Kobe ended up getting what he always wanted: The Lakers
completely revolve around him. He gets to shoot 25-30 times per game. He
gets to take every big shot at crunch-time. He gets all the credit. Nobody
else on the team dares to challenge him. And even better, because he
lucked out with the only possible coach who could make this cockamamie
situation work, his supporting cast kills itself to make him look good.

Basically, he's Elvis and everyone else is Joe Esposito. And it's working!
That's the crazy thing.

Now they're a sleeper in the West — seriously, do you think Phoenix wants
any part of them in Round 1? — and have the only player in the league who
can win a playoff series by himself. He's the Black Mamba, he's Kobe
Bryant, he's the 2006 MVP, and since we finally have that settled, I will
now light myself on fire.

Bill Simmons writes two columns per week for Page 2 and ESPN The Magazine.
You can reach his Sports Guy's World site here. His book “Now I Can Die In
Peace” is available on Amazon.com and in bookstores everywhere.

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