Sorry it's been a while (again...), but my attention has been a bit divided. What with the MLB season heating up, the NFL Draft, and the NBA Playoffs, it's a bit difficult to find one thing to concentrate on. During the recent vote for the NBA MVP, I found myself wondering what "Most Valuable Player" really meant.
"Player's" the easiest of the words. It means someone actually in the field of play. So, even though Danny Ainge did the Celtics right by putting together an instantly playoff-ready (if not Championship) team, he can't possibly be considered. Okay, so it must be Teddy Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena," not some exec out there. Fair enough.
"Most" is a little more challenging. Most what? Most points, most rebounds, most assists...? Perhaps, most excellent. Or most children out-of-wedlock. No, no, no...I digress. Supreme is probably the right adjective to equate this "most" to. But supreme what...?
"Valuable" is where I find myself truly struggling. To whom is this "player" "most" valuable? To his team? To the league? To the networks? It's safe to say that even years Michael Jordan wasn't the most valuable (?) player in the league, NBC found him so. And what makes one "valuable?" Is scoring? Is it overall contribution to the team? What does that even mean?
Was Kobe Bryant the MVP of the league? His team wasn't truly competitive 'til Pau Gasol showed up in a mid-season trade. Does that make Gasol more valuable? {Meaningless tidbit, Gasol's brother was traded by the Lakers to get Pau to the team.}
Anyway, what is the contribution that makes a player "Most Valuable?" I have my own thoughts that I'll share as we go, but I'm curious?