Kobe Bryant 2009 NBA MVP Odds

With the All-Star break this weekend, the NBA season is nearing the home stretch. That got me thinking about which players have been the best in the NBA prior to the All-Star break and which ones have a good shot at taking home 2009 NBA MVP honors. You can certainly make a case for several players, but my list starts with the reigning league MVP Kobe Bryant. We’ll take a look at why Kobe Bryant deserves to take home the coveted award for a second straight season in this article.

Bet Kobe Bryant to win league MVP at +100 at Sportsbook.com
Kobe should not be ruled out this season just because he won the award last season. He has arguably been the best player in the NBA for the majority of this decade and has deserved to win more than one MVP award during this time if you ask me. The NBA has never been shy about handing out this award to the same player in consecutive years either. Since the first MVP award was handed out to Bob Pettit in the 1955-56 season, nine players have won two or more MVP awards in a row. This list includes Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan, and Steve Nash. Also, 11 players total have won the award more than once and I don’t expect Kobe to be one and done. We here a lot about LeBron James, who is the favorite at -300, but let’s take a closer look at why Kobe should be the man to beat.

Kobe Bryant has led the Lakers to the best record in the NBA to this point at 41-9, the only remaining team without double digit losses. He has beaten LeBron James and the Cavs twice and he has also beaten the big three and the Celtics twice this season. On the season, Bryant averages 27.3 points per game and 5.1 assists per game but he could easily be averaging over 30. Kobe is a true most valuable player in that he does what his team needs him to do to win, whether that means dropping in 61 against the Knicks or scoring 19 against the Cavs as he did in LA’s recent six-game road sweep. You Lakers fans may have been sweating a little bit when coach Jackson left Kobe on the bench to start the fourth quarter as Boston had gained the momentum in the team’s most recent contest. I know coach Jackson wasn’t. The Celtics built a nice little cushion, but when Kobe checked back in the game with just under eight minutes remaining they watched it evaporate in a hurry as he nailed a trio of three pointers to send the game into overtime where the Lakers would go on to win. No other player in the league is as cold blooded down the stretch of games. And now with Andrew Bynum due to be sidelined for a couple months, I expect to see more big games from Kobe as the Lakers will have to find a way to replace Bynum’s points on a nightly basis. Because of Kobe’s success in head to head matchups with LeBron James, I have to give him the early nod.

Check out the NBA spreads each day right here at Locksmith Sports to see which book offers the best NBA betting odds. And make sure you consult world champion handicapper Jimmy Boyd’s NBA expert picks for the most winners through the NBA Finals this season.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

• Kobe Bryant becomes Lakers All-time Scoring Leader
• Lakers’ Kobe Bryant Questionable for All-Star Game
• Is Dirk Nowitzki Leading the NBA MVP Race?
• LeBron James Leading MVP Race

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