Weather you love or hate him, LeBron James has won the 2011-2012 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award. James has won the MVP award three times now and is the first player since Michael Jordan to reach this accomplishment. James received 85 out of the 121 first place votes from a panel of sports writers, broadcasters and the fan vote from NBA.com.
James got 1,074 points that easily topped Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant (889 points, 24 first-place votes), the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul (385, six first-place votes), the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (352, two first-place votes), and San Antonio’s Tony Parker (331, four first-place votes). James has had a great season averaging 27.1 pts, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 53 % shooting and 1.9 steals per game. The only player with better numbers than that is you guessed it, Michael Jordan in 1988-89 with 32.5 pts, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 2.9 steals and 54% shooting. Adding to the argument that he might be the Jordan of our time.
While James is honored and appreciative of winning his third MVP, he has a bigger goal in mind, “Heat nation, we have a bigger goal. This is overwhelming to me as an individual. But this is not the award I want, ultimately. I want that championship. That’s all that matters to me.” He even invited the rest of the Miami Heat roster to join him on stage saying, “These 14 guys right here, they give everything. And they give me everything.”
Rose Has Surgery
Derrick Rose had successful left knee surgery to repair a torn ligament May 12th the Chicago Bulls said. They plan on giving a press conference next week to give a full update on his recovery. Rose tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee late during a playoff opening win over Philadelphia on April 28. He came to a jump stop in the lane and his leg bucked, with the 76ers’ Spencer Hawes and Lavoy Allen rotating toward him. Without Rose, Chicago lost the series in six games. He averaged 21.8 points and 7.9 assists, but it was a hard season for him. Going from MVP a year ago, this season he missed 27 games because of groin, back, toe, foot and ankle problems. General Manager Gar Forman has said that none of these prior injuries did not lead up to the ACL tear. While the Bulls were 18-9 without him during the regular season, once he was injured, they weren’t the same Bulls. Rose is looking at an 8 to 10 month recovery period, that would see him coming back late into the next season. But the team will not give a timeline as to when Rose will return saying that they want him to take his time and heal.
How The Mighty Fall…Hard
Miami Heat Chris Bosh missed the second quarter of the opening game against the Indiana Pacers because of what the team is calling a lower abdominal injury. Bosh in now scheduled for an MRI so the team can determine the extent of his injuries. “He was in a little bit of pain going into the locker room,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We won’t know until we get an MRI.” Bosh scored 13 points in the first half, the last three of those points were with 1:06 remaining after a dunk while getting fouled by Indiana’s Roy Hibbert. Bosh remained down for a few moments and after that he slowly stood up and made his free throw. He was going back to the defensive end when he started limping and grabbing at his midsection. He eventually fell to his knees in pain. He was replaced by Ronny Turiaf with 43.6 seconds left. Bosh was clearly in pain when he walked toward the Heat locker room for a checkup. After that the team announced the diagnosis of his injury during intermission.
Other News and Notables
- Chris “Birdman” Andersen’s attorney, M. Colin Bresee released a statement saying that the charges of cybercrimes against children are false and that he will be cleared of any wrong doing. His attorney has said that the he believes that the charges are being brought against him by a spurned female fan. The women had asked Andersen for “financial remuneration” after traveling to Colorado last year. The statement reads, “A female fan in 2010 mailed Mr. Andersen multiple letters and included several photos in which she was scantily clad,” Bresee’s statement reads. “Chris and this woman communicated with each other and in 2011, this woman, who represented herself as 21 years of age, flew to Colorado, showing her required identification.” The statement continued: “After leaving Colorado, she became upset at his lack of interest. In 2012, she threatened to retaliate if he did not provide financial remuneration.” Douglas County sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Ron Hanavan said property, including electronic devices, was seized at Andersen’s Larkspur, CO. home Thursday as part of the investigation. Andersen has not been arrested or charged, and no arrest is imminent, Hanavan said. “We’re sifting through property recovered to figure what, if any crimes, have been committed,” Hanavan said.
- Actually putting your foot in your mouth is pretty hard, but Indiana Pacers Coach Frank Vogel tried really hard. And for that the NBA has decided to make him pay $15,000 for it. Vogel said about the referees in upcoming series against the Heat that, “They are the biggest flopping team in the NBA. It’ll be very interesting to see how the referees officiate the series and how much flopping they reward.” But the Miami Heat is not letting this bother them. Coach Erik Spoelstra said that he “could care less.” Vogel now has to either eat crow or figure out how to flop like the Heat because the Pacers lost 95-86 in Game one.
- Proving that there still are good guys out there, the Memphis Grizzlies Rudy Gay has won the Kia Community Assist Award for April in “recognition of his outstanding efforts in the community and his ongoing philanthropic and charitable work”, the NBA announced today. Kia and the NBA are honoring Gay for his ongoing support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. Gay who wears the number 22, made a personal donation of $22,222.22 to the hospital. The longtime Hoops for St. Jude campaign ambassador and supporter also recorded a PSA that raises awareness and funding for the campaign. He has also led a group of his teammates on a visit to St. Jude’s Grizzlies House, where they spent time decorating cookies with the boys and girls. He even treated one young patient, Cortavious and his family to a dream dinner. And invited the family to a Grizzlies game the following evening where Cortavious joined him on court during shoot around. “I am honored to receive the Kia Community Assist Award and thrilled to be in a position to support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital,” said Gay. “I am a huge fan of the organization – they truly work miracles for so many children and save lives every day. The work that St. Jude does makes my job look small.”