Damian Lillard had quite the curious reason for picking Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James to be this season's MVP over frontrunner Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The likely two-horse race should be decided once the 2019-20 season resumes or moves into the postseason, with the award likely being presented after the NBA Finals, as it's become recently customary.
“This season I think it's LeBron,” Lillard said. “They're the No. 1 team in the west, they've been consistent all year long, and for him to be at the age he's at with the amount of miles that he has on his body, how often he's talked about the pressure that they've put on him in every little thing that he does. At the level he's performing at, in my opinion, I think he's the MVP.”
Damian Lillard is obviously taking the route of Most Valuable Story here, as the numbers vastly back up Antetokounmpo's dominance in the race.
James' recent victories over the Los Angeles Clippers and the Bucks have spurred his case for the MVP award. The 35-year-old has been in search of his fifth MVP award since winning his last in 2013 as a member of the Miami Heat.
Playing the way he has been is a feat in and of itself, but not exactly an automatic qualifier to walk away with the award.
Antetokounmpo was considered the clear-cut frontrunner to repeat as MVP in a recent survey of NBA executives, considering he's been the team's best and most valuable player from the start of the season.
The Greek Freak garnered 60 out of 70 first-place votes in the race, with the other 10 voting him to second place.
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