Less than two months ago, LeBron James was on a likely path to winning his fifth Most Valuable Player award, an honor that would have put him on equal footing with Michael Jordan and within one of the record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
But the frustrating reality of his 17th season, fractured by injury, has required a paradigm shift for both James and the Lakers.
A season that was shaping up as a celebration of James’ enduring greatness changed the moment Atlanta’s Solomon Hill crashed into his right leg on March 20.
On Sunday, James endorsed Stephen Curry for the award that might have otherwise been coming LeBron’s way.
“Steph has had, in my opinion, the best season all year,” James said late Sunday night.
Behind this unprompted and impassioned case for Curry was a bittersweet acknowledgment by James of just how his 17th season might have gone.
