Chapter 262: Reward Sun and Sky, A Battle of Equals
As the most prestigious individual honor in the NBA, the regular season MVP always carries more weight than any other award. Expectations were sky high.
Fans back home were glued to the news. Countless outlets had already listed Chen Yan as one of the frontrunners. Some commentators even openly pushed for him to win. Compared with Kobe and LeBron James, the numbers Chen Yan put up as a rookie were almost unreal.
But fans do not get a vote. The MVP is decided by one hundred twenty six media members from the United States and Canada. Each voter fills out a ballot with five names. First place is worth ten points, second is worth seven, third is worth five, fourth is worth three, and fifth is worth one.
After days of buildup, the result was finally announced.
Kobe Bryant was named the 2007 2008 regular season MVP. It was the first MVP of his twelve year career.
Despite years of tension with the media, Kobe forced everyone to focus on what really mattered: basketball. His individual season was too strong to ignore. He received seventy eight first place votes and twenty three second place votes, for a total of nine hundred seventy one points. Under his leadership, the Lakers finished with a league best record of sixty four wins and eighteen losses.
LeBron James came in second in the voting. He earned twenty three first place votes, forty eight second place votes, and finished with five hundred seventy six points. He led the league in scoring with averages of thirty point two points, seven rebounds, and six point six assists, shooting forty eight point nine percent from the field and thirty one point seven percent from three.
What held LeBron back was not his production, but his team record. The mid season trade for Shaquille ONeal did boost the Cavaliers. They finished second in the East, but the conference was clearly weaker. Their fifty three and twenty nine record would have been only sixth best in the West, and that hurt his case.
Chen Yan finished right behind them. He received twenty one first place votes, forty second place votes, and ended with five hundred twenty nine points.
Before the announcement, even Chen Yan had felt a small spark of hope. The talk around him all season had been nonstop. Some insiders had even said he might pull off the miracle.
When the result came out, he was not disappointed. This was his first year in the league. To finish third in MVP voting as a rookie was not a blow. It was a badge of honor and a push to keep going.
Chris Paul received three first place votes, ten second place votes, and fifty eight third place votes, totaling three hundred three points. Kevin Garnett finished fifth with sixteen third place votes, thirty nine fourth place votes, and fifteen fifth place votes for a total of two hundred twelve points.
Two Lakers players inside the top five of MVP voting. That kind of dominance had only appeared three times in the past thirty years.
The first was the legendary 1995 96 Bulls. They went seventy two and ten and ranked first in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Michael Jordan averaged thirty point four points, six point six rebounds, and four point three assists. He won the MVP with one hundred nine of one hundred fourteen first place votes and eleven hundred thirty total points. Scottie Pippen averaged nineteen point four points, six point four rebounds, and five point nine assists and finished fifth with two hundred twenty six points.
The second and third times came in the 2001 02 and 2002 03 seasons, when Shaquille ONeal and Kobe Bryant both finished in the top five in MVP voting in back to back years.
This history explained why so many people favored the Lakers to win the title now. Any team that has two of the top five MVP candidates is almost impossible to ignore.
Even though he did not win the highest individual honor, Chen Yan still collected an incredible haul: Rookie of the Year, All Rookie First Team, and All NBA First Team.
For any newcomer, that is a dream season.
Ding. Congratulations to the host for winning this seasons Rookie of the Year. Rewarded with plus one to all attributes and Currys exclusive skill, Sun and Sky.
Yes.
Chen Yan clenched his fist in pure excitement.
This was the skill he had been waiting for all year.
Just from the name, he felt the power behind it. Sun and Sky Realm sounded like something that could change the balance of the entire league.
He opened the detailed description.
Sun and Sky: Within nine meters of the basket, the hosts three point shooting percentage ignores distance loss.
In simple terms, as long as he was within nine meters, his three point shot would not get worse with distance. Cross half court and fire.
This was not the full small ball era yet. Most teams still lived on mid range jumpers and shots at the rim. Even normal three pointers were not used as heavily, let alone ultra deep threes.
If Chen Yan turned deep threes into a routine part of his offense, he would completely break the mold of the league.
As long as he could hit them.
He then opened his personal attribute panel.
Name: Chen Yan
Height: 198 cm
Weight: 94 kg
Armspan: 218 cm
Standing Jump: 102 cm
Run up Jump: 110 cm
Ball Control: 91
Speed: 95
Stamina: 91
Field of View: 86
Breakthrough: 91
Layup: 91
Mid range Shot: 93
Three Pointer: 94
Free Throw: 82
Passing: 86
Positioning: 91
Steals: 89
Strength: 84
Rebounds: 81
Defense: 86
Blocks: 73
Spirit: 97
Skills: God level steal, answer crossover, shadowy pursuit, hot start passive, perfect hand shape passive, juggling end passive, Gods pull up, pass master lv3, Sam Gold, Iron Ambition passive, Mamba dance lv1, post up skills lv1, fingertip layup, Sun and Sky Realm
Honor Points: 65
Overall Level Assessment: S
Chen Yan studied the numbers with satisfaction. His three point rating sat at ninety four. It was not yet on the level of prime Curry, but it was already elite.
A ninety four rating from three, combined with an extended range that ignored distance loss, was a nightmare for any defense.
He closed the system interface, still feeling the faint rush of adrenaline. The awards and rewards were already in his pocket. From here on out, there was only one focus left.
Prepare for the Spurs.
That night, ESPN released a prediction poll for the upcoming Spurs and Suns series.
Out of one hundred seventy eight reporters who participated, ninety three picked the Spurs to advance, while eighty five believed the Suns would move on.
Fifty eight of them predicted the series would go all the way to a Game Seven.
One hundred twenty one believed it would last at least six games.
The message was clear.
This was going to be a war between equals.
<><><><><>
[Check Out My Patreon For +40 Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]