There's No "Debate": Giannis is the MVP

His historic season is leading the Bucks to historic heights.

LeBron James used to be the victim of narrative in the NBA.

The four-time MVP award winner had his case to win six if not for runner-up finishes to Kevin Durant in 2014 and James Harden in 2018. He had finished between third and fifth plenty of more times. His on-court impact was such a mainstay that he seemed overlooked in MVP voting in recent years.

Now, ESPN is working overtime to peddle controversy and filch the award from Giannis Antetokounmpo in LeBron's favor. Now, with my tinfoil hat taken off, I still partially believe there is something going on behind the curtain. Because there isn't an MVP race to be had: It's Giannis.

The stats are staggering — 29.6 points, 13.7 boards, 5.8 assists per game. He is posting a 31.76 player efficient rating, 0.06 behind ... Wilt Chamberlain ... for the highest single-season rating ever. It's among the best Hall-of-Fame seasons.

Besides MVP-level numbers, a simple eye test can leave even the casual onlooker chapfallen. It's no wonder Harden tried saying Giannis wasn't skilled: he's superhuman. He's a bulldozer on offense with a developing jumper. He's a bulwark on defense and very well could win the DPOY honor, too.

Giannis has led a team in small-market Milwaukee to a 7.5-game gulf between the next best Eastern Conference team. It's disingenuous to say Giannis deserves the award because Khris Middleton is second fiddle. Middleton is a great on-ball alternative and shooter, as is Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez, and so on because of Giannis.

LeBron can't say the same with Anthony Davis as his 1b. There is obvious synergy between the two future Hall-of-Famers, and therein lies the issue with LeBron's candidacy. How much can he really be credited? The answer is a lot, of course. Averaging 25.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and a league-leading 10.7 assists is remarkable. But LeBron's defensive vita pales in comparison, and his team is in a similar spot as the Bucks. What Anthony Davis does down low is what Giannis also does.

It's a fool's errand to compare hypotheticals of how Giannis and LeBron's absences would hurt their respective teams. The systems both teams implemented are predicated on the attention that the two demand. When it comes to narrative-building, however, LeBron is unfairly winning the battle as the regular season winds down.

The Lakers beat the full-strength Bucks, though Giannis did hurt his knee that game and has missed one an expected two-game absence. The win is not the this, that, and the other encompassing the MVP debate. A competitive MVP race, obviously, has been co-opted into a narrative of its own pitting the two stars against each other. The NBA just can't sell the product on its own it seems. Maybe a post dedicated this debate is part of the problem?

All in all, Giannis has the better offensive stats. He has the more impactful defensive prowess. A more successful team. It's not easy to surpass LeBron at anything, but it's clear as day that Giannis is the league's Most Valuable Player.