NBA All-Star 2021: 5 Predictions for the All-Star Game MVP award
The league is hosting its 70th Annual NBA All-Star Game on Sunday at the State Farm Arena. This is the third time the Atlanta Hawks will host the All-Star Game, after hosting the event in 1978 and 2003.
The best that the league has to offer will team up and put on a spectacle for the world. Team LeBron vs Team Durant is set and everyone is eagerly waiting for March 7th, 8 PM ET.
It is one of the highest honors for a basketball player to be selected as an NBA All-Star. Several remarkable athletes have blessed the court over the years, however, every year one player stands out with his performance and wins the 'NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player' award.
2021 All-Star captain LeBron James has won the award three times in his career.
2021 NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Predictions
It is an incredibly tough feat to stand out amongst stars and superstars. Every year 24 players get selected to an All-Star Game and all compete for the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP. Let's take a look at all the selections for this year.
Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant will not be playing in the All-Star Game due to injuries. So let's take a look at 5 possible winners of the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP.
Also Read: What was Kobe Bryant's net worth?
#5 Luka Doncic
Young phenom Luka Doncic has taken the NBA by storm. The 21-year-old Slovenian athlete is already breaking records in the league and several analysts believe that he might end his career with multiple MVP honors.
In just his third year, Doncic already has a plethora of game-winners and buzzer-beaters in his highlight reel. He has been exceptional this season so far, averaging nearly 29 points, 8.4 rebounds and 9 assists a game.
This is his second All-Star selection already despite having been in the NBA for just three years. Luka Doncic's late-game heroics and exceptional playmaking ability make him a solid candidate to win the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP.
#4 Damian Lillard
It appears as though Damian Lillard is on a mission this season. He has been exceptional in the clutch so far, sinking game-winners night after night.
Lillard is missing CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic from the starting lineup, but he appears unfazed in the face of adversity and has literally carried the Portland Trail Blazers to victory on his shoulders.
This is Damian "Dame Time" Lillard's 6th NBA All-Star appearance and it isn't unlikely that he will put on a spectacular performance to win his first All-Star Game MVP.
He is averaging nearly 30 points, 8 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game this season on a remarkably effective efficiency of 55%.
#3 Joel Embiid
Cameroonian big man Joel Embiid earns his 4th All-Star selection this season. He is currently tearing the league apart with his new skills and dominance while leading the Philadelphia 76ers to the best record in the Eastern Conference.
He is averaging a career-high 30.2 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game this season and is the frontrunner for the regular-season MVP award.
Joel Embiid is playing at a very high level this year, burying game-winners and dropping 40 and 50 points games. His jump shot has gotten prettier and he is more confident shooting from the outside.
Embiid makes a strong case for potentially winning the NBA All-Star Game MVP.
#2 Stephen Curry
Arguably the greatest shooter ever, Stephen Curry is one of the frontrunners for the NBA All-Star Game MVP award. He is averaging numbers similar to his unanimous MVP season and is leading the league in total points scored.
Curry is on a tear right now, he has already had 57-point and 62-point games this season. He is averaging nearly 30 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.5 rebounds a game while maintaining a true shooting percentage of nearly 60% from the floor.
Stephen Curry has never won the NBA All-Star Game MVP award. With his whirlwind 30-foot shots, circus lay-ups and clutch threes, it seems like an award Curry could easily bag.
One shouldn't be too surprised if Curry earns his first All-Star Game MVP on March 7th to go along with his two regular-season MVPs.
#1 LeBron James
Finally, the King himself, LeBron James, can never be counted out when discussing MVPs. He has won the NBA All-Star Game MVP award three times in his career and could quite easily bag another one.
James also holds the record for the youngest player to ever win the award, having won his first All-Star Game MVP at the age of 21 years and 51 days.
LeBron James also has four regular-season MVPs and four Finals MVPs. Even in his 18th season in the league, he is averaging remarkable numbers.
James has been the NBA All-Star captain for three straight years and this is his 17th-consecutive NBA All-Star start.
Notable Mentions: Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, and Chris Paul have won the award before and certainly shouldn't be counted out.
Also Read: How to watch/live stream the NBA All-Star Game 2021?