Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James on MVP race: 'I've shown what I'm capable of'

Author Photo
#LeBron

The NBA MVP race is effectively over.

The league informed teams last week that seeding games would not count towards any of the 2019-20 end-of-season awards, however LeBron James says he isn't fazed.

"I'm not disappointed because things happen. Control what you can control, and I can't control that," James said

"As far as the MVP race, I think I've shown what I'm capable of doing, not only individually but from a team perspective - us being No. 1 in the West."

The 35-year-old has put together an impressive regular season campaign, leading the league in assists (10.6), while vaulting the Lakers to the No.1 seed in the Western Conference with a 49-14 record through 63 games. James capped off his MVP case with two impressive wins over the Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks, prior to the season suspension on March 11.

"There was a lot of conversation about 'LeBron can do those things in the East, but if he ever came to the West, what could he do?' I heard all of that," James added

"To be able to have our team at the top of the Western Conference and playing the way we were playing at the time and the way I was playing, that's definitely a good feeling."

MORE: NBA.com Staff make their end-of-season award picks

James faces plenty of competition for his fifth MVP trophy, with reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on track to repeat after guiding the Bucks to the top of the East with the league's best record (53-12).

LeBron James vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo 2019-20

2019-20 Games PTS REB AST STL FG% 3P% eFG% WS
LeBron James 60 25.7 7.9 10.6 1.2 49.8 34.9 55.5 9.5
Giannis Antetokounmpo 57 29.6 13.7 5.8 1.0 54.7 30.6 58.3 10.4

While Antetokounmpo's case is hard to ignore, Lakers coach Frank Vogel believes James' overall impact on his team puts him in front.

"Nobody impacts winning more than LeBron James," Vogel said.

"I do believe that he should be the MVP this year. I believe he should be the MVP and I believe Anthony Davis should be the Defensive Player of the Year. I hope those awards go to our two players."

Who's your pick to win the trophy?

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA or its clubs.

Author(s)
Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor for The Sporting News.