Allen Iverson: LeBron “at the forefront” of MVP race
The 2017-18 NBA season has yet to begin, but the legendary Allen Iverson has already given his pick for the year’s Most Valuable Player.
In an interview with Ball Don’t Stop, former Philadelphia 76ers guard and Hall of Famer Allen Iverson predicted that Cleveland Cavaliers small forward – and future Hall of Famer – LeBron James would win the NBA’s MVP award in the upcoming season.
Iverson, a former league MVP (2000-01), said that he considers the race to be “LeBron and everybody else.” While he noted that there were other players who could certainly contend for MVP, James was the only player Iverson mentioned by name.
If James is selected as league MVP this season, it will be the fifth time he has won the award. It would also mark the first time he would have earned the honor since returning to the Cavaliers in 2014. He won the award in both 2009 and 2010 with Cleveland, and in 2012 and 2013 with the Miami Heat.
Winning for the fifth time would put LeBron even further up the hierarchy in the pantheon of all-time greats. Only three players in NBA history have won the MVP five or more times. Michael Jordan and Bill Russell both won it five times, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the an NBA-record six times.
If history is any indication, Iverson seems to be making a safe bet when it comes to LeBron’s MVP chances. James has finished no lower than 4th in MVP voting since the 2007-2008 season. He has also been a member of the All-NBA first team for the last 11 seasons.
Some may posit that it is too early to make such a claim but and with All-Stars like Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard viable MVP candidates as well, competition will be stiff for the King. However, LeBron has always shown an ability to be transcendent among the elite.
An individual accolade like MVP would certainly be a nice honor for LeBron although he is likely to say that winning a fourth NBA championship is higher on his list of personal goals.