Skip to main content

How Public Perception of LeBron James and Kevin Durant Will Impact MVP Race - Bleacher Report

The MVP battle between LeBron James and Kevin Durant has been well documented and the voting promises to be extremely close.

If you're voting simply on numbers or success of their respective teams, either vote you cast would be a correct one. You can't go wrong with either player.

Yet the one thing that could eventually impact the MVP race is the public's perception of LeBron.

Everything about the season that James has put up, including his 37 points, six rebounds and seven assists Monday night in Miami's win over New Jersey, screams runaway MVP winner. However, fair or unfair, it's not that simple when it comes to LeBron.

James is the most scrutinized athlete in the world and it's the outside perception of him that will make the MVP race closer than it should be, or even cost LeBron the award.

How will the public perception of LeBron impact the MVP race?

How will the public perception of LeBron impact the MVP race?

  • Will make the voting very close, but LeBron wins.

  • Will cost LeBron the MVP.

  • Won't have an impact, LeBron wins.

  • It won't, Durant is the MVP anyway.

Like it or not, James isn't perceived as a leader. He's looked at as a guy that disappears in the clutch.

ESPN and every other sports media outlet has made it their mission to point out James' failures in the clutch as often as they show his highlights. Different NBA analysts have made it a point to say all season that it doesn't matter what LeBron does in the regular season until they see him do it in the clutch in the postseason.

It's more of a story when the Heat lose a close game in the fourth quarter than it is when LeBron scores the final 17 points in a game to get Miami a win.

Is the public perception of LeBron fair? Of course not, but it's there and you would be kidding yourself if you didn't think it will impact the MVP race somehow.

Durant, on the other hand, is just as deserving, but doesn't have anything negative surrounding him.

He's the golden boy to the same people that find things to nitpick about LeBron's game. To Durant's credit, he's done much more to lead the Thunder this season and has come through more often with the game on the line, but the MVP shouldn't be decided by how one performs during the last 20 seconds of a game.

Kd_original_crop_650Photo Credit: Associated Press

Because Durant doesn't have the negative public perception, he can have a bad game or two and no one really cares.

If LeBron has a 7-of-18 shooting day, including 0-of-7 from three-point range, the way Durant did Monday in a loss against the Clippers, his game is torn apart and his struggles are brought into the public's eye.

It's not the same with Durant. It's just a loss and onto the next game.

LeBron should be the MVP, but there's no guarantee that he wins it.

Public perception will go a long way in determining the winner.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Breaking Down the Differences Between LeBron James and Kevin Durant - Bleacher Report

LeBron James and Kevin Durant are being coined as "the future of the NBA 's next generation." That is certainly true, but they aren't exactly on the same level. LeBron and Durant are two different players, who bring varying skills to different facets of the game. Instead of just comparing them in a "who's the best" fashion, let's take a minute and break down which player excels in each and every facet of the game of basketball. Ahead is a breakdown of the differences that exist between LeBron and Durant.  Scoring Ronald Martinez/Getty Images LeBron 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 27.1 points, 53.1 FG%, 36.3 3P%, 77.1 FT% Durant 2011-12 Per-Game Stats: 28.0 points, 49.6 FG%, 38.7 3P%, 86.0 FT% Scoring is what Kevin Durant does. It's not only his specialty, it's also what makes him such a dangerous and elite player. With that being said, LeBron isn't exactly a slouch on the offensive side of the...
Post a Comment
Read more

NBA Monday Morning Shootaround: LeBron James, The Hunger Games, and More - Bleacher Report

Welcome to the "Monday Morning Shootaround," Bleacher Report's recap of the weekend that was in the NBA. Along with getting you caught up on the weekend’s playoff action, we’ll give you a sneak preview of what could potentially be the greatest basketball book of all time, show you the best 70-year-old playground superstar ever, and tell you about a young star that just might choose religion over the fame and fortune of the NBA. The Opening Tip * ABC cameras caught LeBron James reading The Hunger Games before the Miami Heat played the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Shortly thereafter, the Miami Heat small forward proceeded to go into full Katniss Everdeen mode to the tune of 40 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists as the Heat pulled out a hard-fought 101-93 victory. After a slow start, Heat guard Dwyane Wade finished with 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists of his own. But Sunday afternoon was all about James and his gaudy numbers, virtually all of which we...
Post a Comment
Read more

LeBron James' 12 Hall of Fame teammates

LeBron James is one of the best to ever play in the NBA. He has set multiple records and accomplished a handful of milestones, capped off by the NBA All-Time scoring record , four NBA championships, four Finals MVPs, four NBA MVPs, one NBA Cup title, and one NBA Cup MVP. Throughout his career, he's played with five players that are in the Basketball Hall of Fame and seven others that will likely join James in the Hall. Here is a look at LeBron James' 12 Hall of Fame teammates. Check out the gallery. Dwyane Wade Russ Isabella-Imagn Images Hall of Fame status: Inducted in 2023 Dwyane Wade has arguably got to be James' best teammate throughout his career. With Wade in his corner, they both led the Miami Heat to back-to-back NBA championships in four consecutive Finals appearances. Having these two on the same team was a nightmare to stop, especially in transition. They went together like peanut butter and jelly. Chris Bosh Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Hall of ...
Post a Comment
Read more