As most basketball fans are primarily focused on when the NBA will return amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it is easy to forget that an MVP race is still technically taking place.
Before the NBA paused the 2019-20 season, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was neck and neck with Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo for the MVP this year.
According to All-Star guard Damian Lillard, James should win the coveted award.
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“This season, I think it’s LeBron,” he said. “They’re the No. 1 team in the West. They’ve been consistent all year long. For him to be at the age he’s at with the amount miles that he has on his body. How often he’s talked about. You know, the pressure they put on him and every little thing that he does, and the level that he’s performing at, I feel like, in my opinion, I think he’s the MVP.”
This season, both James and Antetokounmpo have been the two most dominant players in the league by a fairly wide margin.
The defending MVP is currently averaging 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game for the Bucks.
The four-time MVP is averaging 25.7 points, 10.6 assists and 7.9 rebounds per game for the Lakers.
If those numbers didn’t make the voting process any more difficult, the Bucks and Lakers are currently the No. 1- and No. 2-seeded teams in the NBA, respectively.
Considering the final portion of the regular season may very well be lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is very hard to predict how MVP voters will decide their pick.
Either way, one thing that fans know for sure about both James and Antetokounmpo is that the NBA title means much more to them than any personal accolades.
Luckily, the two superstars will get a great opportunity to face off in the 2020 NBA Finals later this summer.
