Not that he minds the four NBA MVP trophies likely sitting in his unimaginably full trophy case but LeBron James, indisputably one of the greatest players to have ever graced the hardwood, isn’t motivated by winning the MVP trophy.
Answering questions during the Los Angeles Lakers’ media scrum, King James fielded a question about where winning MVP awards ranks among the things that motivate him, LeBron was quick to set the record straight about what drives him.
“Regular season MVP has never motivated me,” he quips. “To be the best, to be the best to ever play the game, has motivated me and it’s resulted in me being able to be league MVP a couple of times.”
"Regular season MVP has never motivated me. … to be the best to ever play the game has motivated me and it’s resulted in me being able to be league MVP a couple of times.”
LeBron says being the greatest ever is what motivates him. pic.twitter.com/c8J9TQBHV9
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 5, 2020
“But I’ve never gone into the season saying league MVP is what I want to be. I’ve gone into the season saying, ‘Okay, I want to be the MVP of this team. I want to be the best player in the world.’
How I approach my game everyday [and] how I take care of my body everyday has resulted in things like that.”
Whether you have LeBron ranked above or below Michael Jordan, Bill Russell or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — all players who have been mentioned in the conversation for greatest player of all-time (GOAT) — it’s undeniable that the Akron-bred basketball savant has put in the work necessary to be mentioned in the same breath as the league’s most iconic players.
Entering the league at 19-years-old, James quickly displayed an advanced understanding of the game that highlighted a keen basketball mind while his athleticism and strength allowed him to become one of the league’s most dominant players since Day 1.
His first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t yield any NBA championships although he faced off against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals in what was just his fourth season. Yet, James’ preternatural passing instincts, his signature chasedown blocks and his sensational scoring feats became the stuff of legend around the league and allowed him to challenge Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant for the mantle of best in the game.
He won Rookie of the Year in 2004 before winning the NBA’s MVP award in 2009 and 2010.
After the 2009-10 season, the majority of fans and analysts — along with the league — would consider LeBron to be the best player in the NBA and his decision to join the Miami Heat as a free agent in 2010 rocked the Association to its foundation. It was only a matter of time before he would win his first NBA championship and after a disappointing performance in the 2011 NBA Finals that helped mold him into the player he is today, James would win a championship in 2012 and 2013.
Seasons that also saw him win regular season and NBA Finals MVP awards.
Now, LeBron hasn’t won a regular season MVP award since 2013 although he’s had a case to be the league MVP multiple times since then. He has a case this season as well, with the Lakers having the best record in the Western Conference and in no small part due to James’ leadership and on-court excellence.
Unfortunately, much in the way that James couldn’t get the edge on Stephen Curry in the wake of the Golden State Warriors’ dominance, he’s unlikely to best Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks for his fifth MVP award this season. Yet, like 2016, James could very well win Finals MVP.
On his quest to reaching GOAT status, championships are seen as the most important factor for his dreams to become a reality.
A 3-6 record in the Finals doesn’t do him any favors but with all but one of those losses coming when his team was understandably overmatched, he’s given a bit of leeway. Plus, he went to the NBA Finals in eight consecutive years, and could become the first player to lead three different franchises to a championship.
That said, winning his fourth championship this season will inch him closer to Jordan and Abdul-Jabbar’s six rings.
Ultimately, that makes it more than likely that another Finals victory is what’s motivating the King more than anything else this season.