ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith thinks Los Angeles Lakers superstar small forward LeBron James is going to win MVP next season.
After missing the playoffs this season for the first time since his second year in the NBA, James is expected to come back hungrier and more motivated than ever in 2019-20.
Smith believes the Lakers could strike out in free agency since all the superstar players have been linked to going to teams other than Los Angeles, but nevertheless, Stephen A. sees The King winning his fifth MVP next season.
“I think LeBron's gonna win MVP next year,” Smith said on ESPN's First Take. “I think LeBron single-handedly is gonna average his 27 to 30, he ain't gonna miss 17 straight games…I think LeBron's gonna play lights out.”
After defeating the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, James and the Lakers were in the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. However, that Christmas game is when LeBron suffered a serious left groin injury which put him on the shelf for 17 consecutive games.
We all know what happened after that. The Lakers went 6-11 without LeBron and fell out of the playoff race. The Anthony Davis drama supposedly tore the locker room apart and the team was never able to recover from it.
In his first season with the Lakers, James put up stellar numbers. He averaged 27.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists. If Los Angeles can make the postseason next year and LeBron puts up similar numbers, James could easily win his fifth MVP trophy.
Follow Us
Subscribe