The Los Angeles Lakers will kick off their postseason facing this year’s NBA MVP. That is, at least, according to Lakers superstar LeBron James.
James had a chat with reporters on Sunday night in which he discussed the Lakers’ upcoming play-in game against the Golden State Warriors. He said that his team has to be on “its best” as they will be playing against the “MVP of our league in Steph Curry.”
“I mean, just look at what he’s done this year. I don’t know anything else if you’re looking for an MVP. If Steph is not on Golden State’s team, what are we looking at?”, said James. He also added that Curry had “the best season all year.”
The Lakers and Warriors will meet on Wednesday, with the winner of the contest locking the No. 7 seed for the playoffs. The loser will face either the San Antonio Spurs or Memphis Grizzlies to determine the No. 8 seed.
Steph Curry was the only bright spot on a Warriors team that battled injuries for the better part of the season. Curry had arguably his best statistical season as a pro, averaging a career-high 32 points and winning the NBA’s scoring title for the second time in his career. He also added 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists while shooting 42.1 percent from the three-point line.
Still, Curry most likely won’t get much consideration for his third MVP award due to the Warriors’ poor record. Golden State finished eighth in the Western Conference standings with a 39-33 record for the season.
The Most Valuable Player award for the 2020-21 NBA season will most likely go to either the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic or the Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid. If this happens, either of them will become the first center to get the honors since Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.
