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Considering his overall stature and credentials as one of the greatest basketballers to have ever graced the NBA, LeBron James last won the MVP award back in 2013. During this time, he has won two championships and came close to winning three more against the Golden State Warriors, losing out each time.
Regardless, the 2017-18 NBA season was one such year when LeBron guided the Cavaliers all the way to the NBA Finals after having an exemplary regular season, something which has been a constant over the years. James’ Cavaliers finished 4th in the Eastern Conference after a 50-32 record, with his individual stats arguably better than any other player through the season.
The MVP award went to James Harden, who alongside Chris Paul and Eric Gordon guided a talented Houston Rockets team to finish top of the Western Conference. The Rockets were eventually ousted in the Conference Finals by the eventual champions. Over the years, the season has often been picked out by LeBron James' fans as the one when he was robbed off the MVP award. In this article, we examine the truth behind the allegation.
Was LeBron James robbed off the NBA MVP award during the 2017-18 NBA season?
A detailed look over the individual stats of the two players appears to be non-conclusive. LeBron played 82 regular season games, 10 more than James Harden, who was rested for the final regular-season game of the campaign and also had an injury layoff to start the new year.
LeBron James averaged 27.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 9.1 assists along with 1.4 steals per game. In comparison, Harden had 30.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 8.8 assists and 1.8 steals. Harden’s ppg was enough for him to win the scoring award as well, with fans often claiming that it was the only individual award that he deserved that season.
While LeBron James had the better overall statistics, he also led in blocks (0.9 to 0.7), turnovers (4.2 to 4.4) and overall shooting efficiency. LeBron shot at an impressive 54.2% overall compared to Harden’s 44.9%, the one statistic in which he had a clear advantage over James Harden.
However, it must be remembered that while James Harden was on the best regular season team that year. He led the Rockets to an impressive 65-17 record that was comprehensively better than the Cavaliers. The Houston Rockets were the higher-seeded team, which in itself would have played a big role in how voting panned out.
On the other hand, LeBron James led an otherwise average roster to the NBA Finals, which was in itself an achievement that had become a regular feature of his Cavaliers team, especially during the later years when Kyrie Irving had left for the Celtics. As it often happens in sports, the same argument could have been made about James Harden had LeBron ended up winning the MVP award that year. Hence, it cannot be said that LeBron was robbed off the award. He had a better post-season, but wasn’t the best player during the regular season that year.
Also Read: Who is LeBron James Jr? All you need to know
