“The sustained greatness is something we’ve never seen at that position. LeBron is going against every position all the time. The guy is just amazing,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle had said LeBron after he led the Lakers’ win over Indiana with his buzzer beater. We can not deny. Since turning 40, LeBron has been averaging 25.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, eight assists, and 53% shooting. These numbers are surprisingly close to those of his MVP season in 2012-13 with the Miami Heat. For all good reasons, at the end of March, on the NBA’s Race to the MVP Ladder, LeBron was sitting in fifth place.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic look set for the top two positions. But LeBron’s rise in the picture might not be only because of the numbers. There are certain things that go beyond the box scores. One of those has to be his defensive flashes. Apart from going 1-on-1, even at this age, he is dishing out chasedown blocks, that too against playoff contender teams and in crucial moments of games. Remember the massive block against their last game against the Rockets during the closing seconds?

Even head coach JJ Redick took note of it. “People may have perceptions of what he is as a defender…I think there was this perception of him at this age like conserving energy. No, there’s no conservation of energy on that end of the floor. He’s played elite defense now for a while,” he had said toward the end of February. One more factor is there.

Acquiring Luka Doncic was a move that could have been disruptive enough for the squad. But as a prime face of the LA squad, LeBron has been more than welcoming of Luka, even letting his name to be announced last in the lineup. This is kind of a leadership that is an assett for any team. Many have pointed out that having Luka has elevated LeBron’s game. While that might be true, let’s not forget that during LeBron’s 7-game absence, Lakers went 3-4, making him an importanmt piece of the squad. These intangible factors surely make a strong case for LeBron to be one of the top-5 MVP contenders. But looks like not everyone is onboard with that.

ESPN came up with its final NBA MVP straw poll on Wednesday. This means we have some shifts in the list, some new names here and there, and a lot to talk about. SGA is leading the show after acquiring 77 points, followed by Jokic, who received the other 23 points. Meanwhile, the Pistons star, Cade Cunningham, makes it to the MVP straw poll alongside LeBron James.

On the Hoop Collective podcast, Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, and Tim MacMahon dissected the list that surprised many. Meanwhile, Windy presented a setback to his alumni brother from Akron. Bontemps began the conversation with the sixth place on the list. With one third-place vote, two fourth-place votes, ten fifth-place votes- thirteen total votes- LeBron James is sitting there. The only player other than Jokic and SGA to get into double-digit votes. But when Windy was asked for a guess, he says, “Cade Cunningham. I considered him for fifth on my ballot.” So, not LeBron, according to him? That’s odd! However, Windhorst did express his true feelings later in the conversation.

Well, no. Cade is actually in seventh place, despite having a better record than the Akron Hammer in the last nine games. Also, you could blame Bron’s recent stumbles on his groin injury. Meanwhile, Tim Bontemps continued the conversation: “LeBron James, man. Once again, it’s sixth in the poll. This is the first time LeBron has been this high in the poll since the end of the 2021 season, when he finished fifth.” 

This poll receives a major contribution from the media, who cast their votes. So, taunting Windy, considering his connection with Bron, MacMahon pointed out the 40-year-old Lakers star’s recent stats and said that someone in the media decided to give him a 40th birthday gift. To this, Brian Windhorst bluntly responded: “Yeah. Well, I did not consider him at fifth.” But wait, hasn’t Windy been in this position in the past where he did not count on LeBron and then had to accept that he was wrong?

Last month, on First Take, Windy dug up LeBron’s 2017-18 season, the latter’s last with Cavs. LeBron had led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals, beating the Boston Celtics in Game 7 to clinch a spot in the NBA Finals. Memorably, LeBron scored two buzzer beaters in 2 cruical matchups. But Windhorst revealed that he did not vote LeBron for the MVP, declaring that he regretted that.

“One of my regrets is that in 2017-18, the last year LeBron [James] played in Cleveland, that I didn’t vote for LeBron for MVP… [James] Harden won the MVP that year, and I voted for him for MVP, and I do regret that vote because the longer I thought about it, the more I realized how great LeBron was in this season. He was 33 years old, the Cavs’ Kyrie had been traded, and they were the fourth seed. He played every single game that year: 82 games. He led the league in minutes. His stats were very good,” Windhorst had said.

It would be interesting to watch if history repeats itslf this time as well. But, for now, the ESPN reporters didn’t mince words in pointing out the recent setbacks that the 21x All-Star forward has been facing.

LeBron James’ gameplay setbacks are in focus amidst MVP straw poll updates

This sixth place that LeBron James has acquired in the poll is the highest since his 2021 5th place. Tim Bontemps highlights James’s unexpected rise in the MVP Straw Poll, securing meaningful votes for the first time in years. Unlike past seasons, where he barely appeared, this nod reflects his stellar form and the Lakers’ resurgence. His recent performances have clearly shifted the narrative.

Windhorst chipped in: “It’s interesting you say that. He’s in a pretty significant offensive slump right now—well, at least a three-point shooting slump. I think he’s shooting since he came back from the groin injury, like 19% in his last nine games on threes. He’s definitely playing harder on defense.”

No denying that in the game against the Bulls where returned after the groin injury he was visibly slow in movement. Moreover, despite finishing with 17 points and 12 assists, he shot just 8-for-20 from the field and missed all five attempts from deep

But LeBron James’s impact is undeniable. Despite injuries and key absences, he led the Lakers with intensity, especially on defense. Averaging 24-8-8 on 51% shooting and 37% from three, he’s proving age is just a number. As Luka Doncic had said, he might even score 70,000 points. A flash like that at the age of 40, when most others start to diminish, in itself is astonishing enoigh. Therefore, his resurgence in the MVP race feels well-earned, despite the doubtful glares.