NBA AWARDS - LeBRON JAMES NAMED NBA MVP

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

James totaled 1,172 points including 109 first place votes, from a panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. James, the first Cavalier to win the award, led Cleveland in scoring (28.4 ppg, second in the NBA), rebounds (7.6 rpg), assists (7.2 apg, fourth), and steals (1.7 spg, eighth).

JAMES WINS 2008-09 NBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD

NEW YORK, NY USA

Monday May 11, 2009

LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers is the winner of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2008-09 NBA Most Valuable Player. James totaled 1,172 points including 109 first place votes, from a panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five for third, three for fourth and one for each fifth-place vote received.

Rounding out the top five in voting for this season’s award are the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (698 points), Miami’s Dwyane Wade (680), Orlando’s Dwight Howard (328) and New Orleans’ Chris Paul (192).

As part of its support of the Most Valuable Player Award, Kia Motors America will donate either a new Borrego SUV or Sedona minivan on behalf of James to The Urban League of Akron. Kia Motors is presenting a brand new vehicle to the charity of choice of each of four 2008-09 season-end award winners as part of the “The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors.”

James, the first Cavalier to win the award, led Cleveland in scoring (28.4 ppg, second in the NBA), rebounds (7.6 rpg), assists (7.2 apg, fourth), and steals (1.7 spg, eighth). Since the 1973-74 season when steals became an official stat, James is the fourth player to lead his team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals, while also leading his team to 50-plus wins (Larry Bird 1985-86; Grant Hill, 1996-97; Kevin Garnett, 2002-03). The 6-8 forward helped Cleveland to an NBA- and franchise-best 66-16 season, a 21-game improvement over last season (45-37), marking the 12th time an NBA team has reached 66 wins in a season.

James led the league in triple-doubles (seven) and became the 12th player in NBA history to record three-consecutive triple-doubles (March 7, 10, 12). In his sixth season, James became the ninth player in NBA history to have at least five consecutive 2,000 point seasons.

Since the NBA began voting on the Eastern and Western Conference Player of the Month separately in 2001-02, James is just the second player to receive the award four times in one season (Kevin Garnett, 2003-04). James was voted the Eastern Conference Player of the Month in November, January, March and April. James was also named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week seven times (Nov. 10, 17; Dec. 29; Jan. 26; Feb. 9; March 16, 23).

The NBA MVP trophy is named in honor of the late Maurice Podoloff, the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement in 1963.

2008-09 NBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD VOTING RESULTS

ALL-TIME MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD PRESENTED BY KIA MOTORS WINNERS

Season ---- Player ---- Team

1955-56 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis

1956-57 - Bob Cousy, Boston

1957-58 - Bill Russell, Boston

1958-59 - Bob Pettit, St. Louis

1959-60 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia

1960-61 - Bill Russell, Boston

1961-62 - Bill Russell, Boston

1962-63 - Bill Russell, Boston

1963-64 - Oscar Robertson, Cincinnati

1964-65 - Bill Russell, Boston

1965-66 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia

1966-67 - Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia

1967-68 -Wilt Chamberlain, Philadelphia

1968-69 - Wes Unseld, Baltimore

1969-70 - Willis Reed, New York

1970-71 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee

1971-72 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee

1972-73 - Dave Cowens, Boston

1973-74 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Milwaukee

1974-75 - Bob McAdoo, Buffalo

1975-76 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles

1976-77 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles

1977-78 - Bill Walton, Portland

1978-79 - Moses Malone, Houston

1979-80 - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Los Angeles

1980-81 - Julius Erving, Philadelphia

1981-82 - Moses Malone, Houston

1982-83 - Moses Malone, Philadelphia

1983-84 - Larry Bird, Boston

1984-85 - Larry Bird, Boston

1985-86 - Larry Bird, Boston

1986-87 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers

1987-88 - Michael Jordan, Chicago

1988-89 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers

1989-90 - Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers

1990-91 - Michael Jordan, Chicago

1991-92 - Michael Jordan, Chicago

1992-93 - Charles Barkley, Phoenix

1993-94 - Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston

1994-95 - David Robinson, San Antonio

1995-96 - Michael Jordan, Chicago

1996-97 - Karl Malone, Utah

1997-98 - Michael Jordan, Chicago

1998-99 - Karl Malone, Utah

1999-00 - Shaquille O'Neal, L.A. Lakers

2000-01 - Allen Iverson, Philadelphia

2001-02 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio

2002-03 - Tim Duncan, San Antonio

2003-04 - Kevin Garnett, Minnesota

2004-05 - Steve Nash, Phoenix

2005-06 - Steve Nash, Phoenix

2006-07 - Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas

2007-08 - Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers

2008-09 – LeBron James, Cleveland

NBA