LeBron James fails to earn single vote in 2023 MVP

• LeBron James is in the biggest shock of his life
• He failed to garner a single vote for the 2023 Most Valuable Player
• He has two decades with NBA

Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James is in the biggest shock of his life as he failed to garner a single vote for the 2023 Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 20 years.

Instead, it is Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid running the show after garnering more votes to win the MVP award. He triumphed over Denver Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo in what was thought to be one of the tightest MVP competitions in NBA history.

James didn’t even receive a single fifth-place vote from the 100 NBA-appointed electors who cast the votes that determine the MVP.

Many NBA fans were astonished that the most dominant player of the last 20 years didn’t win the award even though the Lakers veteran wasn’t a contender.

Despite the Lakers’ terrible 2021–22 season, where they missed both the playoffs and the play-in tournament, James continued to draw MVP support.

LeBron James. Photo by Marca

However, Embiid, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo got a huge chunk of the votes for the top three spots even as additional votes were distributed to different NBA players from throughout the league.

James played in 55 of the 82 regular-season games despite having his season cut short by a foot injury in February.

He made a comeback in March after being away from the court for over a month away as the Lakers rallied late in the season to win the play-in tournament and secure the 7th seed in the playoffs.

Early in the season, the four-time MVP shattered the NBA’s all-time scoring record, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points ever scored.

James tied his career low for games played but had a season average of 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists.

James scored 38 points in a 133-130 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder to break Abdul-Jabbar’s 1989 record of 38,387 points.

Abdul-Jabbar first broke the scoring mark in 1984, eight months to James’ birth. When he rose to a celebrity basketball player, James said he always envied the success that Abdul-Jabbar’s had in the NBA.

With a fadeaway jumper at the end of the third quarter, James, 38, who needed 36 points to break the record, finally achieved his dream. He finished the game with a career total of 38,390 points.

LeBron James. Photo/Sky Sports

While Abdul-Jabbar, 75, who was there at the game on the Lakers’ home court, stood and cheered, an emotional James raised both arms in delight.

A ceremony to celebrate the accomplishment was held during a brief break in play, and James took the podium to speak on the court.

He thanked his fans for their support in the last two decades because they pushed him to be better and do more in carving his NBA legacy.

“Everybody that has ever been a part of this run with me the last 20-plus years, I want to say thank you so much because I wouldn’t be me without all you. You all helped. Your passion and sacrifices helped me to get to this point,” he remarked as quoted by BBC Sport.

He posthumously thanked David Stern, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for the opportunity they gave him to become a basketball star.