Carmelo Anthony isn’t going to lose sleep over LeBron James not unanimously being voted the NBA’s MVP.
Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe has been receiving plenty of criticism for choosing ‘Melo over LeBron as the league’s most valuable player, and Anthony, for the life of him, can’t seem to figure out why (via Matt Pepin of The Boston Globe):
Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony has weighed in on the debate that ensued after Boston Globe NBA reporter Gary Washburn was the only voter to cast his NBA MVP first-place vote for Anthony instead of LeBron James.
“As far as the guy in Boston, I don’t know why he catches so much flak for that,” Anthony said after Game 2 of the Knicks-Pacers series Tuesday in New York.
“He has the right to vote for whoever he want. LeBron won the MVP. Why is everybody so mad that he didn’t win it unanimously? … Thank you.”
Now ‘Melo’s take can obviously be construed as biased because it was him who received Washburn’s voted, but he does have a point.
Why all the flak? LeBron himself has already taken a shot at Washburn (and the cities of New York and Boston), and I honestly cannot figure out why.
LeBron still won the award. By a landslide. I mean, it wasn’t even close. What difference does it make if it was unanimous or not? He’s still able to look up and smile at his fourth MVP award everyday, isn’t he?
Anthony’s defense of Washburn brings to light a whole other issue, one that perhaps isn’t talked about enough—conformity. Assuming the mindset of the majority just because it’s the majority doesn’t make it right. Not even close. And while I’m not implying the other 120 people who voted for LeBron were wrong, I’m not about to say Washburn was either.
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Had Washburn came out and said he voted for ‘Melo just because, or specifically admitted that he was fulfilling some personal vendetta against The Chosen One, then perhaps I’d understand the obscene amounts of criticism he’s still incurring days later. Knowing that he defended his selection with a coherent argument that didn’t emulate anything we previously alluded to, I just can’t comprehend it.
So what if he voted for ‘Melo? So what if LeBron wasn’t the unanimous MVP? Does it really matter?
There will be those that will point two the historical precedence such a feat would set, but I just don’t buy into it. It would be quite an accomplishment, that much I’ll say. In the scheme of things, though, it hardly matters.
Remember, there will never be such a thing as an unquestioned MVP. Even if all the eligible voters are swayed one way, it will never be a unanimous selection. Their opinions aren’t the only ones worth something. They’re the only people who can determine who receives the award, but the general populous is going to believe what it wants. Just because LeBron has that trophy doesn’t necessarily mean anything.
No, I’m not downplaying the MVP award. I’m just putting it in a different context. Much like Washburn did when he selected ‘Melo.
There are bigger things at play than this form of recognition, like pursuing a championship. I would wager LeBron himself agrees. And quite frankly, coming from a sport where a win is considered a win no matter what, I’m unpleasantly surprised at how much stake is being placed into this current “dilemma.”
If a win truly was a win no matter what, neither LeBron nor anyone else would have anything to gripe about. LeBron still won. He’s still the NBA’s most valuable player. Washburn’s vote didn’t taint that. And ‘Melo’s gratitude for his personal vote hasn’t corrupted it either.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
