Looks like the NBA Awards will be announced AFTER the playoffs. http://basketball.realgm.com/wireta...rit-Of-Awards-To-Change-With-Post-Finals-Show The NBA will host an awards show for the first time in league history, which will air live on June 26th from New York City. This year's MVP race is considered one of the best in recent memory with four strong candidates in James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James. "Well, we couldn’t have asked for a better MVP race heading into first NBA awards show," said deputy commissioner Mark Tatum. "For us to be able to celebrate the outstanding performances in our league in one nationally televised show with our partner TNT, an Emmy-award winning team, it’s another way for us to celebrate the performances of our players on the court. The show is going to be a celebration of the game, it’s going to feature our current players, legends, celebrities and we’re going to not only highlight the traditional Kia performance awards, but we’re also excited about adding a variety of other awards that’s really going to highlight the best of what our game has to offer on and off the court." Tatum was asked if announcing the awards after the playoffs instead of during them will change the spirit of the awards. "I don’t think it does. Here’s what I will tell you, it will allow the players to participate and focus completely on the game during the season. Then the celebrations can take place at once after the season. We want and those players have wanted to focus on the game and what’s at stake and what’s at hand and winning an NBA championship, that’s what those players are focused on in April, May and June. This change in time will allow them to do that. Then it’s time for recognition all at one time. As a basketball purist, I agree there were sometimes storylines that got interesting and intriguing, but now, all the stories will truly be about the performances on the court, and the road to winning an NBA championship."
When do they vote for MVP? Cause if rockets beat thunder in the playoffs, harden should easily win the award.
Will Clutch Fans even care about MVP by then? After the Rockets lose to the true MVP Russell Westbrook (Who will become the first player ever since Oscar Robertson to AVERAGE a triple-double) I think we will all hide under a rock until draft night where we can yell at Maury for picking another Yao Ming from China in the 2nd round. I'm serious.
Dark forces are conspiring against us. Creatures from the shadows lurking, slithering, lying in wait for their opportunity to deny the greatness of The Bearded One.
That's so lame. The best part about Harden winning the MVP award would've been him accepting the trophy in front of the TC crowd in the 2nd round of the playoffs.
tatum cites that it allows the players to solely focus on the game when I believe it could be the complete opposite. It could very much pose as a distraction for these guys going through the playoffs bc it's obviously something they care about it. I see no reason to make this difficult. It simple. Announce the winners of the regular season awards and whatever the results let the guys move on to the playoffs without worry
One of the greatest moments I've ever witnessed was watching Hakeem get his trophy at center court before one of the playoff games. It literally brought chills to me when he called the entire team out, and had them hold the trophy with him. There's always something special about the MVP getting his trophy in front of his home fans before a playoff game starts. This move reeks of attention whoring, and money grabbing by the league. **** everything about this.
I think they're afraid of having another Dirk nowitzki MVP situation when he lost in the first round, back in 07. They're worried that their golden boy Westbrook won't be able to accept the MVP in the second round, because thunder will lose in the first round.
Once the finals is over, I switch to baseball. And I don't want to hear the whining that the finals winner didn't win the mvp
Huh? The votes are due before the playoffs (I believe they're due a day after the regular season ends).
Westbrook's not winning it. Harden is gonna get it, and he won't get to accept it in front of the home fans in the playoffs. Instead, he'll accept it at some corny awards show after the playoffs have already ended in front of some random people. I hate this move by the NBA. Of course it would happen when Harden is about to win the award. we won't be able to get a moment like this... Harden won't get a thunderous ovation from the home fans. Instead, he'll get a light applause from some random people before they move on to the next award. This is so corny.
I thought that they were still due at the same time, but the NBA will just wait to announce them because of this awards show. They're not gonna still be putting in votes as the playoffs are going on.