Yes, you read that correctly. Since this is a day of bull crap headlines, I figured that I will get in on the madness, however my madness has some truth to it. Before you call me a hater, just hear me out and keep reading. The 6 foot 3 inch, 185-pound, sharp shooter from Akron, Ohio was unanimously awarded the 2015-2016 NBA Most Valuable Award on Tuesday. He becomes the 11th player in NBA history to win the award in consecutive years. The last player to do that was LeBron James during the 2011-2012 season and the 2012-2013 season.

Curry is the first player to ever unanimously win the award in the 61 years that the award has been awarded. He swept everyone in first place votes, as he received a whopping 131 votes. To finish out the top 5 in votes, Kawhi Leonard finished second, LeBron third, Westbrook 4th, and Durant 5th.

After going 73-9 the Golden State Warriors finished the season breaking the 95-96 Chicago Bulls record for most wins in a single season. Steph improved from his MVP season last year, increasing his scoring average to 30 ppg, grabbing 5 boards, 2 steals and dishing out 6 assists. Last year he averaged 8 shot attempts from deep, but he pushed that number to 11 this year. In a sniper like fashion, he maintained incredible accuracy. Though he attempted more shots from behind the arc his efficiency rating was beyond impressive, as he shot 50% from the field and 45% from the 3. Offensively his season was a masterpiece, but I vehemently deny that it was the “most valuable.”

Steph Curry is hands down the best shooter to ever touch a basketball but I have a strong reason to believe that the hoopla that surrounds him is beyond blown out of proportion. The sudden media craze around him just doesn’t make much sense. I do not have a problem with him winning the award this year but I find it quite puzzling that he won it unanimously.

UNAMIOUSLY- without opposition; with the agreement of all people involved.

In the voice of the great Allen Iverson, we are not “talkin bout practice” but we talkin’ bout unanimously.

That means that 131 media representatives were all in agreement of Stephen Curry being the league’s Most Valuable Player this year. If we are talking just basketball, then I find that decision incredibly hard to believe that it occurred without a uniform agenda. Sure, Steph Curry plays on the team that holds the best record this year but what I find quite interesting is the fact that it is not entirely clear that he is even the most valuable on his own team. Room for debate leaves enough doubt and criticism in my mind.

Tracy McGrady says Steph Curry’s unanimous MVP selection shows that the NBA is “watered-down” pic.twitter.com/EUnoNEZSha

Kenny Ducey (@KennyDucey) May 10, 2016

After Steph went down with a reported MCL injury in the first round of this year’s playoffs series against the Houston Rockets, the Warriors were still able to close out the series and advance to the semifinal round to take on the Portland Trailblazers. On Monday night, Curry returned from injury to help his team go up 3-1 heading back to the Golden State but not before making history again with his 17 point output in overtime. That happened to be the most points scored in overtime by a single player in NBA history. What an amazing show, I was so entertained!

Curry made history all year as he shattered his own single-season, NBA record for most made 3-pointers, by topping his 297 makes from a year ago with 402 makes this year. He also joined Steve Nash and his coach, Steve Kerr, as the only players in league history to shoot at least 50 percent from the floor, 45 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the line in a single season. Steph Curry is the only player other than Michael Jordan to average 30 points, six assists, five rebounds, and shoot 50 percent from the floor in a season. Jordan actually did it three times, in 1989, 1990, and 1992, yet MJ never was UNANIMOUSLY named MVP.

In 2013, LeBron James fell just one vote shy of unanimously being named MVP, as one first place vote was given to Carmelo Anthony by The Boston Globe’s, Gary Washburn. What a hater! Rewind to 2000, Shaquille O’Neal came one vote shy of unanimously being named MVP, as one first place vote was casted to Allen Iverson. Broadcaster, Fred Hickman gave the vote to Allen Iverson for value reasons that not many folks with votes seem to consider today before voting.

“You take Shaq away from the Lakers and you’ve still got a great team. You take Iverson away from the 76ers and they are the Clippers, the Hawks. They are no longer contenders.”~ Fred Hickman

Hickman’s support for his vote for Anthony is the same reason why Colin Cowherd and many others find LeBron James to be the most valuable player in all of professional Basketball. This year we all witnessed Steph Curry shoot the basketball in a manner that has never been done before but to dub him as the “Most Valuable Player” or the “Face of the NBA” baffles my mind, to say the least. As a basketball fan and student of the game I find it difficult to understand how this season by Steph Curry was so much more special than any other MVP season from Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Allen Iverson or even Kobe Bryant’s season in which he was robbed of the MVP in favor of the more clean cut and fitting star of the moment, Steve Nash. That year Kobe put up 35, 4 and 5 but he still came home empty handed. If we are talking numbers it is difficult to justify the different outcome for 05-06 Kobe compared to the 15-16 Steph. Shaquille O’Neal is probably the most dominant player to ever play in the NBA, however, he too was a victim of MVP award robbery, in favor of Nash in 2005. A few years ago he was questioned about losing to Nash and he had some interesting things to say.

“Steve Nash is my boy, but I don’t see how  he got it twice. I was taught never to complain because you can’t beat the system. People know who the real dominant guy was. But Steve Nash, I don’t want to say it because you might print it and it might cause problems. I don’t believe he beat me out twice.”~ Shaq

Well Shaq, I will say it! There is a hidden agenda in the NBA and the media and referee’s help execute it into fruition. When the league was getting a bit too street, by the likes of Allen Iverson, tattoos, rap music and fitted caps the league pushed for a dress code. When Kobe Bryant was battling a rape case, the NBA, McDonald’s and Nike had to turn their back on him until all the controversy died down. In typical Kobe fashion, his play never wavered and he went on to win his lone MVP award in 2008. When LeBron James became public enemy number one after pushing the NBA to where it did not want to go with super team formation, the league prepared to give the keys of the league to Derrick Rose. I mean LeBron had won the MVP award in consecutive years and he was beginning to be booed in every arena after joining the Miami Heat so it made sense to find a new face of the league. Unfortunately, Derrick Rose dominance didn’t last long as the explosive Bulls guard became plagued with injuries for the next couple of years. Once LeBron the villain died down a bit, his near triple-double play earned him another two straight MVP awards. In what is arguably the best single season ever recorded by a player in NBA history, James became the 1st player to average 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting 55% or better during the 2012-2013 season yet media representatives were not all in agreement on his value.

I am not here to discredit Steph Curry in any way, but to call him more valuable than a guy like LeBron James is an unjustifiable smack in the face. LeBron James has never averaged less than 20 points in any season in his NBA career, he earned NBA All-Defensive team honors 5 straight seasons, he’s appeared in 5 straight NBA finals and on top of that he received just 1 first place vote in 2008 when he averaged, 30, 8 and 7. In his 13- year career, his efficiency, and versatility seems to have gotten a bit routine and less appealing to media and mass audiences compared to the offensive grace of his Western Conference foe in Steph Curry.

In my personal opinion, I think Stephen Curry is an amazing shooter and an exciting player but his body of work is shorter than leprechaun. He has only made the all-star team three times; his ankles are as shaky as his own crossover; early in his career he looked like the possible Robin to Monte Ellis’ Batman and then last year life changed for him and the entire basketball world. The Golden kid drank from the fountain of jumper and he has been crowned “the face of the NBA ever since.” What a small sample size to be noted and regarded so highly. Quite frankly the media attention around him the last two seasons have been sickening at best, as every day his offensive greatness is pushed down our throats until with either eat it or puke it up in disgust. If two years of offensive awesomeness will get you such titles as “Most valuable,” or “Best ever,” then I am sure guys like Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant, and Tracy McGrady are somewhere with a lot of burning questions. I’ve seen respected individuals and great basketball minds reference Steph Curry as, “The greatest ever,” and I could not be any more confused, disappointed and aggravated with the state of the NBA than what I already am.

The Warriors won a record 73 games, which is a team accomplishment but in some fishy way Steph Curry gets all the credit. Perhaps his heroics and style of play is considered must watch tv, so that makes him the “Most Valuable?” Maybe I am being excessively critical but I just cannot understand how that makes a player the “most valuable.” I think the question many of us all have to ask is what constitutes an MVP award? What are the criteria because it clearly is not about bringing the most “VALUE.”

I would like to think that Steph Curry’s apparent marketability has nothing to do with it but if I made that false assumption that would be as silly as me thinking that Beyonce is the top woman in music because she actually sings better than Jill Scott or Jennifer Hudson. I mean who cannot notice the media’s clear favorability to Stephen Curry? He’s of fair complexion; he’s the son of a pro in Dell Curry; he comes from a seemingly great family foundation; he’s married; his wife is a favorite on social media; he’s clean cut; he’s Christian; (Tim Tebow anyone?) his daughter, Riley is adorable and his eyes are a pretty cool color too. His wiry frame is so ordinary, that it makes his accomplishments on the court that much more spectacular. Right? I mean AI was pint size too but he had a horrible attitude, and he wasn’t as appealing to mainstream America, thus the HUGE contrast.

I am in no way claiming that Steph Curry won this award because he didn’t deserve it or because he is physically night and day different from the guys I mentioned above. What I am saying is that something just doesn’t make sense. The fact that 131 voters felt that no one other than Steph deserved first place consideration is a complete sad joke to me and the fans. I do not know if it would be sadder if voters actually believed that or if it is sadder that media expect us all to believe that they do. I am not sure if the NBA could prove to be anymore corporate, watered down and politically correct than what it proved to be with this unanimous decision.

The NBA is a business and perhaps the league finds it to be more worthwhile for Steph Curry to be the face of the league instead of its other viable options. While LeBron plays by his own rules and his own agenda by manipulating rules set forth by the NBA, Steph just shoots. Where Kawhi is quiet and the biggest mystery since Casper, Steph just shoots. Where Russel Westbrook is unapologetically and erratically himself,  on the court and in his fashion off the court, Steph just shoots. Where KD is struggling to be the main guy on his own team anymore, Steph just shoots. The baby face assassin has shot himself into becoming the NBA’s first Unanimous MVP Award winner. How fitting!

@bucketsANDmusic

What are your thoughts? Was it the right call for Steph Curry to UNANIMOUSLY be named the 2015-2016 NBA MVP Award winner?

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