The season MVP awards for 2009 and 2010 were contested between two of the greatest players in the league, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. While Kobe had already established himself as a superstar in the league with his early three-peat campaigns with the Lakers, LeBron James’ rise to dominance as a young star was the next big challenge that Kobe Bryant took to level himself up in the new era of the league.

Bryant won the Larry O’Brien championship trophy with the Lakers in both years, while LeBron James took home the seasonal MVP award. The phenomenon made fans weigh in on the Kobe vs. LeBron debate, with many claiming James to be a seasonal bloomer while Bryant was the post-season wonder to grab home the most coveted trophy in the league. Therefore, the biggest question that was posed by the NBA community was: Is a player evaluated based on championships won or MVP awards? 

Sports Illustrated’s Lee Jenkins weighed in on this debate and discussed how it would have been preposterous to call Bryant the best after losing the MVP title to LeBron James. However, in both of James’ MVP-winning years in this era, Bryant cast doubt over the validity of the MVP votes. An X account named The NBA Realist noted one of Jenkins’ remarks on this debate: “James may dominate winter, but Bryant owns spring.” 

The SI article mentioned in the post also included a statement from Lakers assistant Brian Shaw, giving his take on Kobe’s competitive drive. Shaw said, “The perception that the torch has been passed and somebody else is the best in the game is what drives him [Kobe Bryant] now. Especially because he’s still playing, and the guy who is supposed to be the best isn’t.” Surely, Kobe did not want his throne to be challenged by a young player. Perhaps, this explains how the 5x champion deployed his Mamba Mentality in striving to become the greatest.

The 2009 and 2010 MVP voting was tightly contested between LeBron James and veteran superstar Kobe Bryant. Though LeBron James won the award consecutively for both years, Kobe Bryant was close behind, coming second and third in terms of votes received in 2009 and 2010, respectively. Both Bryant and James were the catalysts for their teams during the playoff seasons of those years. However, the only difference was James could not lead the Cleveland Cavaliers (at the time) ahead in the playoffs, while Kobe Bryant led his Lakers to win two consecutive NBA Finals.

Kobe Bryant was not willing to hand the mantle of best player to LeBron James

Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Since getting drafted in 1996, Kobe Bryant’s spirit and drive for basketball led many spectators to believe he was the next big name after Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal. After O’Neal’s departure from the Lakers, Bryant had just assumed the mantle of becoming the best player.

However, a highly touted prospect from Akron, Ohio, would soon be drafted in 2003 and change the face of the league forever. This was unacceptable for Bryant, who was unwilling to relinquish the mantle of being the league’s best talent.

Fairly, the NBA community pinned the title of the best player on LeBron James quite early. Though James always lived up to the pressure of performing at his best, he was yet to achieve the same level of winning championships as Kobe Bryant to come into the comparisons for being the best.

It wasn’t until James signed for the Miami Heat that people realized his greatness. Winning two championships alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, James forever cemented himself as one of the greatest players in the league, alongside Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan.