Ames Progressive

As much as I loathe the chants of “MVP!” that have turned into the live sports version of “Play Freebird”, I certainly enjoyed watching two marquee players, who can perform ungodly maneuvers with a spherical ball, lead their teams to victory on March 2 on national television. Now, invariably, they have further escalated the debate as to which MVP candidate is more deserving of the award as well as the honor of the best basketball player on the planet.

Always the pipe-dreaming idealist, I contest that there remains a slight possibility that the two could settle the dispute the old-fashioned way, by guarding one another in their pursuit for an NBA title. Of course, some other middle-aged men with surnames stitched on the back of their jerseys may impact the outcome, but as fans obsessed with individual superlatives, we know the Lakers/Cavs Finals would mean Kobe and LeBron vying for Jordan’s vacant throne.

LeBron punctuated a victory over the Bulls - where he finished with 37 points, six assists, and six rebounds - with a future poster for all those bright-eyed Ohio kids, by ascending skyward and then throwing down a vicious stuff with Luol Deng running for cover. The King’s broad figure and slick moves opened up the lane but the five-year pro followed that possession with a smooth jumper after creating space from the defender with a quick juke.

On the 46th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point single-game performance, the man with the second highest total of 81, put up a paltry 52 in an overtime win over Dallas. As impressive as LeBron was earlier in the day, Kobe later overshadowed everyone by entering “The Zone” - I can only imagine that it’s like shooting a tennis ball into a convertible. Kobe seemed to create inventive ways to score on the fly. He also shut down a versatile scorer in Josh Howard and, after going 3-for-10 at the line to begin the game, connected on his last 17 attempts from that old charity stripe.

For those postponing their plunge into NBA affairs until the start of the “Real Season” in which my search for a new team begins as the Knicks prepare to seek alternative careers, I assure you that the Kobe-LeBron series necessitates plenty of fortune. The Lakers posted a 13-2 record in February but their blossoming center, Andrew Bynum, continues to delay his return and the Spurs and Tim Duncan and his four titles pose a foreboding threat, along with a bevy of other loaded teams in the Western Conference.

The Cavs’ General Manager, Danny Ferry, appeased LeBron with a roster-altering move that adds size, a steady hand at the point, and veteran savvy. Yet the new #23 needed to score the last 25 points for his team to pull out a crucial Game Five victory last year against the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. Besides the bruisers from Motown, the triumvirate of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have led the Celtics to what looks like home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. Kobe benefited from a one-sided trade that sent big man Pau Gasol to Hollywood. However, the Cavs’ best second option remains an injured and diminutive young shooting guard in Daniel Gibson.

So I reveled in the day’s action with the understanding that my wishes face plenty of opposition. The idea itself feeds my imagination. But when it comes to more disputable and grounded affairs, at least with Kobe, LeBron and New Orleans’ outstanding point guard, Chris Paul, leading their respective teams to solid records, I cannot find a fool-proof argument not to vote for any of the three; unlike the past three years when I have disagreed with the final decision.

To add a further revision to my quest to find a new NBA demigod, I present Tracy McGrady, who infused the Houston area with NASA-like jet propulsion as he helped lead a Rockets team, sans Yao Ming, to a 22-game win streak - the second longest in NBA history.  T-Mac’s failure to advance past the first round of the playoffs, and his integral role on an Orlando Magic team that started 1-17 in ‘03-’04, warrants skepticism concerning the Rockets’ playoff chances, despite their possibility of earning a high seed. As for his say in the MVP race, the streak includes him in the talk but one cannot forget that the streak started while he was on the bench due to injuries. Call me a semantical romantic, but I enjoy a literal interpretation of a word and I’m certain that T-Mac’s absence during the inception of the streak introduces questions about his “valuable” status on his team, and to the league.

Enjoy March Madness everyone, but a month from now the best basketball players will compete in two months of head-spinning, get-out-of-your-seat quality basketball. I, for one, cannot wait.

So I say who needs The Wave or The Chop, on the count of three let’s get this M-V-P chant going! Oh, you can sit down A-Rod, this time we’re serenading real champions.