Your way off base. As great an individual talent as Kobe is he has not been able to incorporate his skills into a team concept. His failure to go to college for a couple of years and his ego has prevented him from understanding a team concept. That is why Jackson stated in his book Kobe is uncoachable. Phil came back for Dr. Buss's 10 million dollars per year. Let's not forget the Lakers were 10-4 with Kobe missing or a part time player as he was recuperating at the begining of the year. Then go figure what they were with full time Kobe. That ain't MVP stuff. Most of his 50 point games were against non playoff teams, as his teammates stood around and watched.

Good lord, now we know why Knicks are doing so poorly.

Kobe as MVP? you GOTTA be kidding.

Had the regular season lasted ONE more week, the lakers would have been out of the playoffs.

I see no reason to even consider Kobe MVP. Lakers were 20/10 at the beggining of the season, than Lamar got injured, Walton got injured and they finished 42/40 with all these Kobes 50s. Give it to Dirk. Give it to Nash.

Hey Larry,

Arizona resident I see? No point in guessing who you think should be MVP right? Must be a tough job "making team mates better", specially when those team mates are as follow: 2 perennial all-stars, an all-defense 1st team guard and a sixth man award winner. Nash has it real tough that's for sure. Before you go on a rant and say that's all to Steve's credit, as great as Steve is (and he is) - Amare and Marion were all-stars with marbury as PG. I guess Nash has made Bell a great defensive player? Or Steve trained Barbosa which is why he's called 'Brazilian Blur'?

I agree with Nate on Kobe for MVP for this reason, Kobe is the most valuable player to his team because if you took Dirk off Dallas, Nash off the Suns and Kobe off the Lakers, the Lakers would be the team that would miss their respective star the most.

Kobe should win MVP.

I gotta laugh at Larry's comment. How is it that almost every NBA player to a man will say that Kobe is the best player on the PLANET at this moment, and still outsiders who have never played ball at any level past high school keep trying to push someone else as the canidate. I mean for goodness sake, Nate plays against Kobe and is an NBA player. I think that makes him uniquely qualified to determine who is a worthy NBA canidate. Wow... the ignorance is incredible.

Before it was cause he had Shaq. Now its because his team is not good enough. They will always find something. He basically has to lead the league in scoring, have multiple 50 point games, maybe a couple of 60's, Make all Nba 1st team and defense team, win at least 60 games, lead his team to the top seed, have at least a 60 pointer in the playoffs, a couple of buzzer beaters, and win the championship while becoming finals mvp. Then he has a shot.The fact that Steve Nash is the best PG ever and makes his team better, That's the biggest BS of all.Have nash played when Handchecking was legal he would be shut down. Nash isn't making people better players. He gets them the ball in spot where they can score. If he had Kwame, and Smush and Luke starting with him, nash would not make the playoffs.He's got good players around him( AMARE, Shawn, Barbosa,), and he's good at getting them the ball. Its really that simple. He didn't reinvent the game. LOL

I agree with Nate. Kobe should be MVP, taking nothing away from Steve Nash or Dirk. He is a solid defender and a great scorer who tries sometimes to hard to get his teammates involved. He doesn't have the talented teammates that Nash or Dirk has And to top it off when your coach tells you to shoot more you listen and shoot more. the only reason they are in the payoff is because he averaged 40 for the month and barely got the team into the playoffs. He rebounded from all the adversity last year and brought his image back faster than we thought. He should be the MVP.

Big ups To everyone that made it out of the 206. I have watched you, Brandon, Jamal, and Jason since you guys were in your respective HS's. I even remember playing a pick up game with you and Brandon at the IMA.

Steve Nash is not the best player on his team! How in the world is he the best player in basketball? Kobe didn't go to college so he doesn't understand the team concept? How stupid was that statement? Oh yeah, Larry must not have attended college.

First off larry oyu are way off. The lakers haven't even played fourteen games without kobe this year. So where did you get your 10-4 stat from? The lakers were 3-2 without kobe this year,hardly anything to write about. I agree with robinson,kobe plays with the least amount of talent on any western conference playoff roster,and despite them having multiple injuries he put them into the postseason again. You are also way off base about kobe not being a team player. He is leading his team in assists despite not being their primary ball handler. He is also only .6 behind lebron in assists. Kobe has been about team from day one. How else do you explain the threepeat?

KOBE for MVP is the RIGHT CHOICE. DIRK is the popular choice because his team is the best in the league (minus brink of elimination to an 8th seeded Warriors who had to win 9 of 10 to get in) Dirk has lot of help from Howard, Stackhouse, Terry.. those guys made more winning baskets then DIRK. Nash, give him props for those DIMES to AMARE,MARION, but he is a point guard, he suppose to do that, take NASH out, BARBOSA can run the offense, but less of publicity. MAGIC/BIRD/JORDAN worked hard with less elite co-stars to win their MVP, you take NASH out PHX is still a 4-6 seed in playoff, take DIRK out Dallas still a 3 seed..take KOBE out (sure they won 10 games w/out KOBE) lakers prolly sittin at home and cheering for the CLIPPERS... KOBE scores alot because their offense allows/requires him to do so... so to say he is not a team player thats wrong.. put nash/dirk in the TRIANGLE..they would be in KOBE shoes..(think of it this way, put kobe on MAVs..i would say its a tie replacing DIRK with KOBE... put Kobe on Suns, Kobe would score for PHX, and they might score more with more fire power.. you put NASH on LAkers.. he get his assists to Walton/Odom, but i can say Lakers wont win..)Nash is valuable to PHX becuz he distributes, but isnt that what his job is... Dirk is the coverboy and everyone hopping on the wagon... KOBE is a superstar but people hate him for his offcourt reasons, people knock him for his talent but not sharing, do you see other lakers making shots??

Sorry Larry but you are the one who is wrong. It is not that Kobe is not a team player..but who does he have that will step up to help him. Against the Suns Kobe has repeatedly given up the ball to a teammate just to watch them throw it away. And Dirk? Give me a break. I have watched every game so far and Dirk has NOT been an MVP at all. He is mediocre to say the least. In Game 5 against Golden State he was 1 for 2 in the field for the first half.In the second half, he did not help his time at all until the last 2:00 minutes of regulation. An MVP steps up EVERY GAME not just for a few minutes every game. Kobe plays 100% every game he is in. Never have you watched him "whine and cry" about other teams "taking away his confidence." Dirk has always been, is and will always be a mediocre player. Look at the stats. They don't lie.

Steve Nash should win the MVP award this year. Until Phoenix proves this wrong by winning at a high frequency without him, he gets my vote. No other team in the league is this successful based on one player's production. The fact that the Laker's made the play-offs this year with the same Kobe doesn't mean he's the MVP, it means Phil is a candidate for Coach of the Year. He did a better job this year and finally earned some of the $10 Million he's getting paid. The bench has progressed. Kobe is still the same player.

Kobe is a great scorer, but not a productive influence on his teammates, whom he seems to be ambiguous of, mainly because he rarely passes to them. In the process, it's self-defeating for him, and exposes his poor grasp of the team concept, reducing his value. His approach: to look good scoring, whether it be in a win or not. MJ had a similar playing style, but his decision-making became killer and was mitigated by the team's prospects for victory. Scoring 50 points in a game did not earn MJ respect that legends deserve, defeating his opponents did. Kobe plays well in many areas, but it's the "when" that counts. He seems aloof to that, like a kid with senior-itis in high school (where the league used to think champions could come from). I believe the league will benefit more with the rule change of drafting players at least one year out of high school. High school products require a lot more cognitive support to win NBA championships. Cognitive self-sufficiency is not taught in high school and rarely develops prior to college, thus, Kobe has become a mental liability to himself AND his organization. This is a time where Phil should definitely intervene with a book for him to read.

Dirk is an offensive beast at times as well, but he lacks that killer instinct on every end of the court, even on the bench during a timeout (ok, I'll give him props for last night, but come on now...).

I think you deserve the sixth man award because of your great performances off the bench. When most of your teammates were injured, you stepped up in all categories of a ball game. That sixth man award belongs to you. PS: you got fansin Thailand

Kobe is the best all around player and means the most to his team. What else do you need. Good to hear it from a player, so maybe these dumb writers and haters who never could play ball should shut up. No one in the league does what he does night in and night out over the course of the last 5 years at least. Kobe hands down, he should have won it the last year that Shaq was on the team also! He had to call the big fella out to make him play and Kobe carried the team more games than Shaq did that year also.

I don't know about the name the Profit it seems more like the fool. Were I too bet I would bet that Kobe has much more basketball knowledge than you did now before he even entered the league. By the way taht knowledge is way beyond collegiate level skill because he grew up and learned the game from pros not amatuers. Where did you get the chance to personally meet Kobe and decide that he was aloof. Sound bytes and tv interveiws do not count as quality time Mr Profit and your like or dislike of Kobe's personality has NOTHING to do with this topic of conversation. It only creeps up because other than a personality bias there is nothing bad to say about Kobe's game at all. Prophesize on that.

Okay let me understand Larry's statement. Because Kobe did not go to college makes him not worthy of MVP? Team player skills are learned in elementary school not college, last I check basketball is based on skill and confidence like or not Kobe has both attributes. lates not hate, but appreciate what he brings to the game...points!

okay now come on ppl everbody knows kobe has less talent and still got da lakers into the playoffs so i think he deserves MVP bc Nash has good players around him and so does Dirk.. I mean i dont even think Nash is da best pg ever, i mean cum on can u say MAGIC and i dont think he should be a 2 time MVP, i think Kobe should have won it in 05, Nash last year and i think dis yr dat Kobe should get it also bc dis guy has to do so much for his team, score, rebound, defend, and assist, wow Nash just gives out dimes and Dirk scores and rebounds so now u tell me who is more valuable for his team.. it jus seems like no matter what Kobe does he gets heat for it, put dirk or nash on da lakers team and see what they could do then.. yeah nash would throw sum dimes but would he have double digits,dont think so cuz when kobe gives his teammates da ball they miss shots and if u put kobe on da suns, wow dat would be somethin rite there, they would actually have great offense and finally sum DEFENSE.. so i jus think that shows how nash jus has good players around him unlike kobe and nash didnt make those players good cuz they were good when they had marbury, its jus dat nash passes more but answer me dis how many buzzer beaters has nash and dirk made for their team, combined together kobe still beats them and thatz a MVP rite there... how can da best player on da planet not get da mvp award when he has improved his numbers dis yr in field goal percentage and assists, cum on now earlier in da yr when he was da passing kobe and da team was doing good nobody was complaining and was saying mvp for kobe and when he scored 50 points in ten games everybody saying how valuable he was to team, so cum on whatz da deal jus give da man his trophy for which i think he deserves...

Nate,

I am a huge KNICKS fan and I appreciate the hustle you bring to the game. We as fans have been spoiled with the legacy that the KNICKS have, that most of us probably underappreciated the strides the team made this year. I pray as a fan, the the KNICKS get back perennial playoff exposure and championship contention.

As, to who I think should be MVP... though I am not crazy about Kobe for a few things, I have to agree that he should be the MVP. The man plays BOTH sides of the ball on an undermanned team. Dirk is probably the worst defender of all the players considered a star. Last time I checked, basketball is played on two ends to the court. Nash is wonderful and I wouldn't be upset if he won it this year (though I believe the fist he got belonged to Shaq).

Grats to your boy Brandon. I told a lot of heads to watch him, because I thought he was the most polished of the cats who came into the league last year. Four years in the PAC-10, showing marked improvement showed his work ethic and dedication to the game.

Thanks for your professionalism and insight. And I think Larry was off base (wonder if anyone outside of his profession challenged his expertise in his field), but like all of us, he has a right to his opinion. Though, biasness can often cloud sound judgment.

After watching the Lakers and Suns series, I have come to several conclusions...1) Phoenix has the worst/most bitter/hateful fans(who cheers loudly when an opposing player gets injured?) just plain uncouth. *Note to Sun's fans, you're supposed to cheer when the player gets up and shows he's ok. Show some more class. These athletes are trying their hardest to win for their respective organizations and their fans(unless you're VC) 2) Nash is a great player, but MVP really??? cmon look at his teammates, yes he makes them better, but would they not be allstars/6th man of the year without him? Nate along with every other player and analyst summed it up best. Without Kobe, the Lakers realistically could've been a .300 team. 3) Phoenix has by far the UGLIEST looking ladies at the game...the first time I actually regretted watching a sports game in HD. (note to Suns organization, during playoffs, must meet a certain HOTTIE QUOTA for the cameras to fixate on during breaks or segways.

Roger Earl quit hatin on my boy Nate and the knicks - I think he's more qualified to make NBA award choices than you because he actually plays in the NBA. Quit hatinnnn

How can a profit miss the fact that Kobe was the assist leader on 3 championship teams??? Yes, despite all the BIG TIME scoring he did in those 3 seasons. And I don't want to hear about him having Shaq, cause Nash has Marion, Stat, and the Blur, Magic had Kareem, Worthy, etc, Isiah had Rodman, Dumars, Lambier and The microwave off the bench.

The stand crew out in all of these tandems above is that the one includes Nash. The one that has never been to the finals!

The Lakers are out and so is Kobe. The Mavericks are out and so is Dirk. Even if the Suns get eliminated in the 2nd round, there is no way other players could catch up to Nash. Therefore, the logical choice is Nash. Simple. Uncomplicated.

Larry, I agree. Steve Nash for MVP. In the 2004-05 season, everyone said that the only reason that Nash won MVP was because of Amare Stoudemire and his 26 PPG. Granted, Amare is a beast, but if that were the case, then why was Phoenix so horrible before Nash arrived. In 2003-04, Phoenix had Amare, Marion, Joe Johnson, and Stephon Marbury and only won 20+ games.

Last year, 2005-06, Nash was critized again for winning the award. However, he was cleary deserving of the award. With Joe Johnson and Quintin Richardson both being traded in the off-season of that year coupled with the injury that ended Amare's season, no one expected Phx to do anything. But it was Nash who put that team on his back and carried that team to a 54 win season, a number two seed in the playoffs, and another run to the Western Conference Championship.

This year, Nash again has a large number of haters. Talk around the league has been that Dirk most likely has already won the award. Dirk, a great player on a great team, lacks that killer instinct and that ability to carry his team when needed (game 5 vs GS was incredible though). He also has a lot of help around him - Josh Howard, Jason Terry, Jerry Stackhouse, Devin Harris. And yet, they lose to an 8 seed. That's no MVP. Dirk was invisible for much of the series. He wasn't aggressive enough, did not shoot when he should have been taking over, and settled for way too many jumpshots - usually falling away with a defender in his face.

And Kobe for MVP doesn't seem logical at all. Best scorer in the game, hands down, but does not elevate the game of his teammates. Kobe is also a great defender but until he can get his team out of the first round of the playoffs, I do not see him winning this award. If you're going to consider him, then Gilbert Arenas deserved consideration before being injured.

People are always going to debate this issue of who deserves MVP. While people are arguing for Dirk or Kobe to win MVP, know that they are at their respective homes watching the rest of the playoffs at home, while Nash is busy trying to lead Phx to a championship!!