“However, my fiercest criticism of Bryant over the years was he was not a team player. I felt his 81-point game, for example, was a reason I would not vote for him.”

If you had said the same thing you said about LeBron, his team just didn’t get enough wins, I’d be okay. What you did say was simply stupid. Did you watch that game? Ever. Did you watch Kobe pass the ball to his teammates for open shots and they just clanked them all? Did you see Smush Parker and Kwame Brown turn the ball over like they were bakers watching food in the oven? You realize most of those points were scored in the second half (he had 25 points at halftime)?

Your comment is akin to saying you wouldn’t give World Series MVP to a guy who hit 3 grand slams in a game, the last coming with 2 outs in the 9th and his team down by 3 because he wasn’t a team player. He should have hit a triple.

Watch the 81 game and you will see the ultimate team player. A guy who did all he could to get his mates into it and took over completely when they failed. The Lakers won that game and were down 25. Why? 81 points!

What I never could get was how baseball writers could separate their hate for Barry Bonds and the simple fact he was the MVP of their league, but basketball writers are infested with hate. I’m glad you already voted, because I’m sure this could get you to change your vote.

Oh yeah – Kobe isn’t playing any different than he has for the last two years. His teammates are just much better players through either development or trade. The league should change the title of the award to the Most Outstanding Player. That way Kobe would have 2 and LeBron would be getting his first this year.

Even if they had won 45 games last year, a 20-win improvement would be pretty significant. Of course a 40-game improvement is significant.

Last October I was reading a lot about how the Celtics would flop this year, with no bench, no defense, no point guard, etc., etc. Some scoffed at the notion that the Cavs didn’t keep up with the Celtics’ moves (sorry kj).

There’s no denying the Celtics had a great season and Garnett was the biggest factor. His stats don’t knock you out, but neither do Pierce’s and Allen’s. Defense and team play count for a lot.

I think that Garnett’s intensity helped the Celtics avoid a lot of those give-away games that most teams have each year. They believed they were part of something special before the season even started, and that kept the players motivated. But the intensity level of all teams increases in the playoffs. We still don’t know if the Celtics have another level of intensity in them. If they do, they will be the NBA Champions. If they don’t, the rumblings about Garnett, Allen and Pierce will begin again. All the adulation they are currently receiving will turn to scorn right-quick.

I don’t think so.

Personally, I think the Celtics would have close to the same record with Al Jefferson, instead of Garnett. Not quite as good, but close.

The MVP to me was a coin toss between Kobe and Paul.