[Previous entry: "Called That Shot!"] [Next entry: "Boys Behaving Badly"]

05/06/2008: "Congrats, 24!"

Confirming perhaps the worst-kept secret in sports, the NBA Most Valuable Player award was presented today to the Lakers' Kobe Bryant. Coming in his 12th professional season, Bryant ties former teammate Karl Malone by playing the most seasons before first winning the award.

There was a lot of talk that this would be a closely fought battle between Bryant, Cavaliers' star LeBron James, and Hornets' point guard Chris Paul. In fact, many felt that the push for Bryant wasn't so much a measure of his performance this year, but rather a reward for a successful career. Whatever the motivation, the vote wasn't nearly as close as predicted, with Bryant receiving 82 first place votes to Paul's 28. Celtics forward Kevin Garnett was third with 15.

To see Bryant win the award this season is amazing considering the state of his relationship with the Lakers less than a year ago. Frustrated after several down years in the wake of Shaquille O'Neal's departure to Miami, Kobe made it clear that if changes weren't made, he wanted out. Even after the season started - and it was clear that those changes hadn't happened - it seemed inevitable that Bryant would be traded to Chicago.

But that trade fell through, and the young Lakers squad jelled. Andrew Bynum - himself a target of Bryant's ire in a well-publicized video rant - became a genuine star, and Luke Walton and Jordan Farmarr matured into solid players. The return of Derek Fisher gave the team new stability at point guard, and Bryant began to trust his new teammates, becoming less of a scorer and more of a playmaker. He could still score at will, but he didn't have to - and that realization is what allowed him to grow into a player worthy of the MVP.

At the awards presentation, it was clear that Bryant appreciated both the award and the role of his teammates in helping him win it. But he also made it very clear that while an MVP is nice, nothing says success like one more ring ...