Getty LeBron James, at left, and Giannis Antetokounmpo
Who is the NBA’s MVP? The Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James or Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo?
“I mean you can go either way,” two-time NBA All-Star and retired 12-year NBA veteran, Stephon Marbury told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“LeBron, you can go with the Freak; he’s having a great year – LeBron. He really came back strong this year on how he’s playing and how the Lakers came in strong. They got Anthony Davis the top pick. They put some really good players around LeBron. So it could either way. I think with the Greek Freak, he’s out there in the East and he’s basically making it work in a small market which is hard.”
Marbury was diplomatic, fair and balanced. Marbury’s former New York Knicks coach, Isiah Thomas thinks James could have a slight edge. “You know he’s really close,” the Naismith Hall of Famer told me on the Scoop B Radio Podcast.
“It was going to be a fantastic finish down to the end because ‘Bron had definitely been making his move and you know, stating his case for being the MVP this year. Giannis has been the frontrunner the whole year. But I thought before the season was suspended LeBron and the Lakers , they were making their move. And they were only two games in the loss column behind the Milwaukee Bucks. And Milwaukee and Giannis at that time — Giannis was a little banged up and Milwaukee wasn’t playing as well and I made the point that if the Lakers finish even or with a better record than the Milwaukee Bucks then you have to say LeBron James is the MVP of the League. The only reason now is that we’re saying Giannis still the MVP and the best player is because the only thing that’s separating them is that the Milwaukee Bucks currently have a better record than the Lakers. But if the Lakers end up with a better record, then there’s no doubt about it. LeBron James is the MVP of the League.”
In his 17th NBA season, LeBron James is averaging 25.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 10.6 assists per contest for a Lakers squad that sits at 49-14 and is in first place in the NBA’s Western Conference standings.
The NBA’s reigning back to back MVP, Antetokounmpo is currently averaging 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds 5.8 assists, 1 steal and 1 block per contest for a Bucks team that currently holds a league leading 53-12 record.