They know Westbrook will win and they don't want Harden to go "Hakeem on D-Rob" and lead the Rockets to the championship.
Right. They take away the hometown fans opportunity to show their support. They might as well not have a Larry O'Brien Trophy Ceremony after the Finals and hand it out at this show. Imagine the fans just having to clear out the arena instead of celebrating.
Yeah, I just hate this move. That fan support was always 1 of the best parts about winning the MVP award to me. The only way we could get that moment is if the Rockets celebrated Harden's MVP in front of the home fans on opening night next season or something like that. Even then, it just won't be the same.
I could understand the NBA handing out stuff like MIP, 6MOY, DPOY, and ROY on some awards night, but the fans deserve to celebrate the MVP and the player deserves to have that moment. That is the most prestigious individual award in all of basketball.
If I were the MVP, good luck getting me to that ceremony, because I'd be gone fishing, the day after the parade.
Anyone else think the time change is due to worries of the MVP exiting in the first round ... they usually don't award this until first home game of the 3rd round, conference finals. I remember how Nitwitz was rewarded live from his basement in Germany after being bounced by Baron Davis.
Changing the rules yet again when the Rockets are favorites to win MVP, COY, 6th MOY etc How convenient. You can't make this **** up Kawhi going to make a push if SPurs go far and maybe LBJ too. **** this ****.
Also, in this new Awards Show format, are they going to have Barkley and Shaq open envelopes with names of the winners. don't do it! They'll make Shaqtin fools of themselves reading the wrong name.
this change was announced right at the start of the regular season tho this article is from November 1st http://www.nba.com/article/2016/11/01/nba-host-first-ever-awards-show-june-2017 it was announced on January 26th that Drake would be hosting it
Imagine it's 7316 days ago... Tiger Woods, congratulations on being the youngest golfer to ever win The Masters. Thanks, John! It's going to be great to slip into that...green jacket like all of the other previous winners in front of my parents and the kind patrons of Augusta. That can't happen this year, Tiger. One of our sponsors JoS. A. Bank Clothiers want to present you with your green jacket in their Augusta, Maine superstore two months from now after the U.S. Open! Another one of life's great traditions ruined by meddling bureaucracies.
Wanna bet they have the previous MVP hand over the trophy to the new one like a Miss Universe pageant...just so they can get Curry, wife and kid in the show. I'd accidently drop the trophy on Curry's toe if I were Harden having to accept it from him, and Stephanie threw me his annoying, patronizing smile
I think this change occurred due to pressure by the NBA's TV partners. The NBA announced a new deal with ESPN and TNT in February of 2016 that was worth billions. It's no coincidence to me that all of the sudden they're doing this lame awards show on TNT. They probably think it will get great ratings. this is so corny...