Who Won the 2016 NBA MVP?
Here are the top 5 players who are contending for the title of 2016 NBA MVP.
Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry had an incredible season and was unanimously voted the NBA MVP. He set the record for most threes in a season, and led the Warriors to the best record in the NBA. Curry is an incredible shooter, and is very quick for his size. He also has great ball-handling skills and is an excellent passer.
Regular season statistics
In his fifth NBA season, Curry averaged 23.8 points, 7.7 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game, shooting 44.3% from the field and 41.6% from three-point range. He was named the Western Conference Player of the Month four times (January, February, March and April) and was named the Western Conference Player of the Week six times (weeks ending on Dec 6, Jan 3, Jan 31, Feb 21, Mar 13 and Apr 10). On February 27, he scored a season-high 51 points in a 109–105 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Post-season statistics
Curry’s regular season numbers improved in most statistical categories, including points (20.2), assists (6.7), rebounds (4.5), steals (1.8) and three-point shooting percentage (.453). He also set career highs in games played (79) and minutes played (2,835).[57][58] In the 2015 NBA Playoffs, he averaged 26.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.[59] The Warriors defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs in five games.[60] In Game 1 of the second round against the Memphis Grizzlies, Curry set an NBA record with nine made three-pointers en route to 33 points as Golden State won 110–106.[61] His 177 points through the first five games of a playoff series were second all-time to Jerry West’s 179 points in 1965.[62][63] As the Warriors advanced past Memphis,[64] Houston,[65] and Cleveland,[66][67] to reach their first NBA Finals appearance since 1975, Curry averaged 28.3 points while shooting 46 percent from three-point range during the postseason.[68][69]
LeBron James
LeBron James was the recipient of the 2016 NBA MVP award. He led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an NBA Finals victory over the Golden State Warriors. This was the first NBA Championship for the Cavaliers, and James was named the Finals MVP. He is also a four-time NBA MVP and a three-time NBA champion.
Regular season statistics
In his first season with the Lakers, James averaged 27.4 points (his lowest output since the 2009–10 season), 8.5 rebounds, and a league-leading 10.2 assists per game, while shooting 50.4 percent from the field, 34.9 percent from three-point range, and 58.8 percent from the free throw line. He was named an All-Star for the 17th time in his 18 seasons, and was voted as a starter for the All-Star Game for the 16th consecutive year. In February, he recorded his 10th career triple double with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists against the Portland Trail Blazers; with that performance, he tied Magic Johnson for the fourth most triple doubles in NBA history with 107. For the month of February, James averaged 11.1 assists per game, becoming the only player in NBA history to average double digit assists in a calendar month on multiple occasions (he previously accomplished the feat in March 2016). In March, he registered at least 20 points and 10 assists in eight consecutive games; it was tied for second longest such streak by any player in NBA history behind Oscar Robertson’s nine game streak set during December 1961–January 1962). He also became second player ever to average 25+ points per game at age 34 or older while shooting 50%+ from field and 40%+ from 3 point line joining Kareem Abdul Jabbar who did it during 1972–73 season at age 34.[218][219] For his performances during February and March, James was named Western Conference Player of the Month for a record 16th time
Post-season statistics
In the post-season, James averaged 29.7 points, 11.3 assists, 8.9 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game while shooting 53.0 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from three-point range. He led the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals for the seventh consecutive year, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in five games. For his efforts, he was named to the All-Star team for the 13th consecutive year, and was voted MVP of the game for the third time in his career.
Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook, point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, was named the 2016 NBA Most Valuable Player at the NBA Awards Show on Monday night. Westbrook averaged a triple-double for the season, becoming the first player to do so since Oscar Robertson in 1962. He joins an elite group of only six players to have ever won the MVP award.
Regular season statistics
In the 2015–16 season, his seventh in the NBA, Westbrook averaged 24.0 points, 8.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game. He was the only player in the league to average at least 23 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 1 steal per game. He was one of four players to average at least 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists per game, along with LeBron James, Chris Paul and James Harden. Westbrook became just the second player in NBA history to have a season averaging 24 points, 8 assists and 7 rebounds, joining Oscar Robertson (1961–62).
Post-season statistics
In the 2016 NBA playoffs, Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists per game while shooting 45.7% from the field and 30.0% from three-point range. He became the first player in NBA history to average a triple-double in a postseason series, and he also set the record for most triple-doubles in a playoff series with four.
Kawhi Leonard
Kawhi Leonard, small forward for the San Antonio Spurs, has been named the NBA Most Valuable Player for the 2016 season. This is the first time Leonard has won the award, which is voted on by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.
Regular season statistics
Kawhi Leonard’s regular season statistics:
-Averages of 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game
-50.6% shooting from the field
-38.6% shooting from three-point range
-87.4% shooting from the free throw line
-2,175 total points scored (seventh in the NBA)
-456 total rebounds (sixth in the NBA)
– 319 total assists (tenth in the NBA)
– 118 total steals (second in the NBA)
Post-season statistics
Leonard’s playoff run began with a strong start in the first round against the Memphis Grizzlies. In Game 1, he scored 31 points and grabbed 7 rebounds to lead the Spurs to a 106–74 victory. He had another strong performance in Game 2, scoring 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in a 94–68 win that saw the Spurs take a 2–0 series lead. The Spurs went on to win the series 4–0.
In the second round of the playoffs, the Spurs faced the Oklahoma City Thunder. Leonard continued his stellar play, averaging 27 points and 7.8 rebounds in the series. He was especially effective in Game 5, scoring 32 points and grabbing 9 rebounds as the Spurs won 112–107 to take a 3–2 series lead. The Spurs went on to win the series in Game 6, with Leonard scoring 34 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs faced the Golden State Warriors, who were fresh off a come-from-behind victory against the Houston Rockets in 7 games. The Warriors won Game 1 of the series easily, but Leonard led the charge for the Spurs in Game 2 with 26 points and 10 rebounds as they evened up the series with a 120–108 victory. The Warriors would go on to win the next three games of the series, with Leonard averaging 25 points and 7 rebounds per game for the remainder of the series.
Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2014-15 season on Tuesday, beating out Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors for the honor. Durant becomes the 10th player in Thunder history to win the award.
Regular season statistics
In his twelfth NBA season, Durant played in 72 games, all starts, averaging a league-leading 28.2 points per game to go with 8.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists, career highs in assists per game and three-point percentage (.427), and shooting a career-best 53.7 percent from the field. He became the sixth player in NBA history to join the 50–40–90 club (shooting at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent on three-pointers, and 90 percent on free throws), and the first since Dirk Nowitzki in 2006–07. Durant was also selected to his eighth straight All-Star Game, tying LeBron James for the most All-Star selections since Durant’s rookie season (2007), and was named All-Star Game MVP for a record third time after scoring a game-high 31 points en route to a 192–182 victory over the Western Conference. For his efforts during the regular season, Durant was named to the All-NBA Second Team for the seventh consecutive season.
Post-season statistics
In the 2014–15 season, Durant averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. He was later named to the All-Star team for the fifth consecutive year. Durant helped lead the Thunder to the NBA Playoffs for the sixth consecutive year. In Game 1 of their first round matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies, Durant scored 31 points in a 100–86 victory. The Thunder went on to lose in seven games. Following the season, Durant was named to the All-NBA First Team for the fourth consecutive year.
In Game 3 of Oklahoma City’s first round playoff series against Dallas, Durant had 24 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in a 95–92 loss; he also became the sixth player in NBA history to record at least 2,000 points (2,056), 600 rebounds (608), and 400 assists (402) in a single season. The Thunder went on to lose in five games to Dallas.
Conclusion
The 2016 NBA Most Valuable Player was awarded to guard Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder on June 26, 2017. Westbrook received 69 of the 101 first-place votes, while forward LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and guard/forward Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs each received 16 first-place votes. It was the first time in NBA history that two players tied for second place in MVP voting.
