Earlier this week, it was announced that the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo won the regular season MVP award.
In doing so, he became just the third player to win the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year award in the same season.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James fell short of such a feat several years ago, and he made his feelings known about it.
"I had a chance to be defensive player of the year and also MVP in the same season. In that year Marc Gasol was rewarded defensive player of the year, but he made 2nd team all-defense."
-LeBron James
(Via @BenGolliver )— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 19, 2020
James won his fourth and most recent MVP award in the 2012-13 season, and he was also named to the All-Defensive First Team that year.
James was also considered a frontrunner for this year’s MVP award after leading the league in assists at age 35.
Although he was considered one of the game’s premier defenders earlier in his career, James has never won the Defensive Player of the Year award.
At this point of his career, James seems more focused on team accomplishments rather than individual accolades.
By helping his Lakers defeat the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, the Akron, Ohio native is one step closer to his fourth NBA title.
