When Will The 2021 NBA MVP Be Announced?
Contents
The 2021 NBA MVP will be announced on June 22, 2021. This is the date when the final votes will be tallied and the award will be given out.
Introduction
The National Basketball Association (NBA) Most Valuable Player Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. The winner receives the Maurice Podoloff Trophy, which is named in honor of the first commissioner (then president) of the NBA, who served from 1946 until 1963. Until 2011, the Maurice Podoloff Trophy was designated as the NBA championship trophy.
Since its inception, only three players have won the award four times: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. LeBron James is the most recent recipient of the award, winning it for the fourth time in 2020.
The 2021 NBA MVP Race
The 2021 NBA MVP race is wide open with no clear-cut favorite. The leading candidates are Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia ers, and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. All three players have had spectacular seasons, but only one can be crowned MVP.
Early Frontrunners
The 2021 NBA MVP race is wide open with a number of players in the mix. The leading candidates at the moment are Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers. All three players are having terrific seasons and it is likely that one of them will take home the MVP trophy.
Antetokounmpo is the reigning MVP and he is putting up even better numbers this season. He is averaging 29.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 55.3 percent from the field and 36.7 percent from three-point range. He is also leading the Bucks to the best record in the league at 38-7.
James is also having a great season, averaging 25.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range. The Lakers have the second-best record in the league at 37-10 and James is one of the main reasons why they are contending for a title again this season.
Leonard is perhaps having the best all-around season of any player in the league as he is averaging 26.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range. The Clippers have been one of the best teams in the league all season long and they have a real chance to win a championship this year thanks in large part to Leonard’s play.
The race for MVP will likely come down to these three players but there are a few other players who could make things interesting if they can have strong finishes to their seasons such as Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Vucevic of the Orlando Magic, or Damian Lillard of Portland Trail Blazers .
Dark Horses
The 2021 NBA MVP race is wide open with a number of players in contention.
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks is the two-time reigning MVP, but he is facing stiff competition from the likes of Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
All four players are having exceptional seasons and it is anyone’s guess who will come out on top. In a close race like this, it is often the player with the best story or the most impressive stats that takes home the MVP trophy.
So, who are the dark horses in this year’s MVP race?
One player that has been flying under the radar is Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard is averaging 28.8 points per game, 7.5 assists per game, and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and 42.6% from three-point range.
Lillard has been spectacular for the Trail Blazers this season and has helped them to a 28-18 record, which has them sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference. If Lillard can lead Portland to a top-four finish in the West, he will certainly have a case for MVP honors.
Another dark horse candidate for MVP is Zynga Binghamton of On Bey Pistonsparity Power forward Jayson Tatumstance over shooting guard Jaylen Browneason. After a slow start to the season, Tatum has been on an absolute tear over the last month and a half and has established himself as one of the best players in the league.
Tatum is averaging 25.8 points per game, 7 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game while shooting 45% from the field and 38% from three-point range. He has been absolutely vital to On Bey’s success this season and they would not be near the top ofthe Eastern Conference standings without him.
If Tatum can keep up his torrid pace forthe rest ofthe season, he will definitely be in contention for MVP honors.
Long Shots
Here are the long shots for the 2021 NBA MVP:
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks: Young is averaging 27.4 points and 8.5 assists per game, but the Hawks are only 19-47 and he doesn’t have much star power around him. He would need a miraculous second half of the season to get into MVP contention.
Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls: LaVine is averaging 27.5 points per game, but the Bulls are just 23-42 and he doesn’t have much help either. He would need to go on a tear and lead the Bulls to a miraculous turnaround to get into MVP consideration.
D’Angelo Russell, Minnesota Timberwolves: Russell is averaging 21.7 points and 6.3 assists per game, but the Timberwolves are just 17-50 and he doesn’t have much help either. He would need to go on a tear and lead the Timberwolves to a miraculous turnaround to get into MVP consideration.
When is the NBA MVP Announced?
The 2021 NBA MVP will be announced on June 22nd. This is the earliest date that the award has ever been announced. The award was originally supposed to be announced on July 13th, but it was moved up due to the ongoing pandemic.
The Schedule
The NBA MVP will be announced on June 24, 2021.
The Process
The announcement for the 2020-21 NBA MVP will be made on Tuesday, June 22nd at 8pm ET on TNT. The awards show will be hosted by Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal.
This is the fourth season in a row that the MVP will be announced during the NBA Finals.
The final voting will take place from June 17th-21st.
Conclusion
It is still too early to tell who the 2021 NBA MVP will be. The season is still young, and there are many great players who are performing at a high level. LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo are both leading their teams to winning records, and they are both having fantastic seasons. Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant are also playing very well. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season plays out, and who ultimately wins the MVP award.