L.A. is the City of Stars … and MVPs
Kobe Adds to L.A.’s Status as the MVP Capital of America
We have the stars, baby.
The glitz, the glamour, the Hollywood sign, the premiers, Jack sitting courtside, and one other little thing — most sports MVPs in the country.
No city has captured more of the top professional awards in the four major sports than Los Angeles. We are just so cool.
Compared to L.A., New York is the city that sleeps.
Chicago is a second city. Boston the cradle of almost.
Philadelphia the city of brotherly runner-ups.
That’s right, Kobe Bryant’s MVP award today only will increase Los Angeles’ lead as the sporting MVP capital of all America.
This comes with a semi-convenient qualifier, heavy on the semi.
We’re talking most individual MVPs since the 1960-61 seasons, when the Lakers headed west and the Angels opened shop. We’re talking the most different individuals to win the award.
Bryant’s MVP will give the Los Angeles area, including Anaheim, a lucky total of 13.
That gives Los Angeles two more athletes to win an MVP than New York and Boston.
One more if Boston tried to count Joe Thorton, who played just 23 games with the Bruins in the 2005-06 season before skating 58 games with the Sharks and really capturing the Hart Memorial Trophy in San Jose.
It’s Los Angeles claiming one more little piece of sports significance, if a particularly showy one. Turn on the searchlights, wrap the whole city in Wayfarers.
The stars really are here.
During Kobe’s 2008 NBA MVP season he averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. (L.A. Daily News: Hans Gutknecht)
L.A.’s MVPs aren’t sports figures who burned brightly for a season and then disappeared, either.
These are the megastars of stars. Koufax, Magic, Gretzky, Kareem, Gibson, Shaq. Guys you can identify by one name.
And now Kobe. Simply the best basketball player on the planet. Not to mention Pluto.
The spotlight found these guys wherever they were.
Players who had impact beyond local borders. National figures, players in or headed for a hall of fame.
Names mentioned in any “greatest ever” conversations.
Los Angeles has managed to lead this MVP tally despite not having an NFL team for the past 14 seasons. That’s like L.A. winning a race of four-cylinders, down one piston.
Baseball has led the MVP way in Los Angeles, with the Dodgers and Angels combining to have six players named MVP.
Of course, baseball offers two MVPs every year, one for each league. Only one is awarded in the NBA, the NFL and NHL.
Los Angeles also has two hockey teams — the Ducks were unsuccessful in nabbing an MVP honor during last season’s Stanley Cup run — and two NBA teams. Somehow the Clippers have failed to add to the L.A. total. Try to recover from the shock.
The Dodgers gave Los Angeles its first MVP back in 1962 when shortstop Maury Wills almost single-handedly changed baseball when he stole a record 104 bases.
The next season, Sandy Koufax, the most dominating left-hander in baseball history, made it consecutive MVPs for the Dodgers.
Kobe Bryant holds up the MVP trophy before Game 2 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals vs. the Utah Jazz. Bryant won the award over Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett. (San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Keith Birmingham)
Steve Garvey added one more in 1974, and Kirk Gibson yet another in 1988, which just happens to be the last time the Dodgers actually won a playoff series.
The Angels got into the act in 1979, when Don Baylor drove in 139 runs and led them to their first playoff appearance. Vladimir Guerrero gave the Angels their second MVP in 2004.
That means a lot of famous Dodgers — Don Drysdale, Tommy Davis, Fernando Valenzuela, Mike Piazza — and Angels — Jim Fregosi, Nolan Ryan, Bobby Grich, Troy Glaus — have never been honored.
Bryant’s award will leave the Lakers tied with the Dodgers for most MVPs in L.A. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (a winner three times as a Laker, six overall), Magic Johnson (also three) and Shaquille O’Neal all preceded Bryant.
It never happened for Jerry West or Elgin Baylor.
The Rams gave us Roman Gabriel, back when he was still talking to his son, and the Raiders’ Marcus Allen, back when he was still talking to Al Davis. The Kings gave us Gretzky.
We consider Anaheim part of Los Angeles — just ask Arte Moreno does — but Oakland a separate animal from San Francisco. (If those two were combined, they would have 17 MVPs; the A’s with a staggering seven and the Giants — who have never won a World Series — with five).
The NFL’s MVP is voted upon by members of the Associated Press. In the MLB and NHL it’s awarded by beat writers, the NBA by beat writers and broadcasters.
It’s makes for prestigious stuff, a city of stars that also officially is the leading producer of the best professional athletes for more than 40 years.
Sure, things are different here. There’s a lot of preening going on down Staples Center aisles. Way too much effort into the look. Luxury boxes at all arenas and stadiums are jammed with the affluent.
But since 1961, no city has been treated to a more gifted and successful group of sports superstars.
In L.A., the stars always seem out.