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Will Rose Become the Youngest NBA MVP Ever?


“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”

The announcement of the 2010 – 2011 NBA MVP is eminent. The value of the election isn’t absolutely clear but it’s basically a popularity contest – first only amongst cranky sportswriters, now also (be it marginally) amongst basketball fans.  Voting actually closed April 15th. The combined fan vote will count as one vote, with the remaining 124 votes coming from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. Whoever wins the award, the best journalists in the business and millions of fans can’t be wrong – can they?

The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual award given since the 1955 – 1956 season. I’m by no means a fortune teller (or objective) but my vote goes to D. Rose “from Chicago. Most of you’ll agree “he’s pretty good”. If he is indeed announced the winner of this season’s Most Valuable Player award, he’ll be the youngest winner in the history of the NBA. Derrick Rose, born on October 4th 1988, would be the first player ever to win the award at 22.

Up to now, the youngest NBA player to ever win the MVP Award is Wes Unseld. He won the award (and the Rookie of the Year title) during his 1968 – 1969 season. He was 23 years old at that time. LeBron James, Bob Petitt, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Bob McAdoo, Moses Malone, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell all received their (first) MVP award when they were 24.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has the most MVP awards (6) followed by His Airness’ and Bill Russell (5). Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain and (again) Bill Russell each won the award in 3 consecutive seasons. The oldest player to ever win the MVP award was Karl Malone at age 36, followed by (again) Michael Jordan who won his last MVP Award at 35. That does make you wonder about Rose’s potential…

In 2008 Derrick Rose was selected first overall by his hometown Chicago Bulls. In his first NBA season he was voted the Rookie of the Year and selected for the All-Rookie Team. In his second season Rose was selected as an All-Star for the first time and named as starter for the US Team at the 2010 FIBA World Championships. Winning the MVP award would be another fantastic step forward for Rose.

Anyway, I already told you I like him! Guess he’s wearing No 1 for a reason. Rose is ‘all in’ but if you would ask him what he would rather have –the 2010 – 2011 NBA MVP award or his first championship ring? I’m pretty sure he would have absolutely no problem answering that question…

 

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One Response to Will Rose Become the Youngest NBA MVP Ever?

  1. Thomas_van_Schaik May 4, 2011 at 6:21 am #

    D. Rose: “The way I look at it within myself, why not? Why can’t I be the MVP of the League? Why can’t I be the best player in the League? I don’t see why-why-why can’t I do that? I think I work hard, I think I dedicate myself to the game and sacrifice a lot of things at a young age and I know if I continue to do good, what I can get out of it and if that’s me going out or doing whatever, I’m willing to do it because I know in the long run, it’s going to help me.”

    D. Rose is all in; the only player ranked in the league’s top ten in scoring (25 ppg) and assists (7.7 apg). He led the Bulls to their first 60 win season and No. 1 NBA Playoff seed since 1997-98. In the beginning of the season he asked “Why can’t I be MVP?” Here he shows us why he can and why he is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awUCykFgbM8

     

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