Getty Image / Katharine Lotze
It’s hard to fathom that LeBron James winning NBA MVP at the age of 35 is the topic of this article, but it is. The king has his Lakers currently standing on the throne of a dominant Western Conference right now, all while averaging 25 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists per game. He is simply showing no signs of slowing down, and that “mountain” that analysts claim for him to soon take a deep dive down, seems nowhere in sight.
BetMGM has listed the odds on who will win this year’s MVP, and it doesn’t necessarily look good for the LeBron faithful. James currently sits at +900 behind Giannis Antetokounmpo (-1000). For you degenerates out there like myself, this is when the fun starts.
I am not sitting here and saying that James is going to win the MVP because the odds are clearly not in his favor and it will most likely go to Antetokounmpo. However, I think you are getting a steal and as good as value as possible with James at +900. Keep in mind, with Milwaukee blowing every team out by what seems to be at least 20 points every game, Antetokounmpo is not getting the minutes per game that he would if the Bucks were in a tight game night in and night out.
Another thing to factor in is the clear competitive difference between the Eastern Conference and Western Conference; don’t think for a second that voters will not be taking that into account when it’s time to select their MVP for the year.
Let’s be honest, all sports fans love a good story, it’s what keeps sports so damn great and us always coming back for more, which is exactly what LeBron James and the Lakers have going for them.
After a miserable 37-45 campaign last year that ended in the Lakers falling short of the playoffs, James has been given a new head coach, new playbook, new system, and practically a brand new team. With that, he has the Lake Show on what seems to be a collision course to face the Clippers in the Western Conference Finals. If that is not a fairy tale story for you at the age of 35, then I don’t know what is, I say take a gamble on the +900 and don’t look back.