Los Angeles - "King James" rules supreme. LeBron James, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to a league-best 66 wins, and the top seed in the playoffs, was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player on Monday.
James received 1,172 points, including 109 out of 121 first-place votes from a panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters, to easily outdistance last year's MVP Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers (698 points) and Miami's Dwyane Wade (680).
James was proud, yet humble to win his first MVP award, and to have his name etched alongside some of the greatest to ever play the game.
"You look at the guys who have won this award - Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dr J, Oscar Robertson," James said. "All these guys laid down the path for guys like myself and Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade to name a few.
"To be voted Most Valuable Player of the NBA is unbelievable."
Already in his sixth season, the 24-year-old James received the honour after averaging 28.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 7.6 assists en route to carrying the Cavaliers to a franchise-record 66-16 record.
"King James" hasn't stopped there, averaging 32 points, 11.3 rebounds and 7.5 assists, leading the Cavaliers to a 4-0 sweep over the Detroit Pistons in the first-round of their Eastern Conference series.
Asked why he decided to have the announcement made at his alma mater, St Vincent-St Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, near Cleveland.
"This is a place where all my dreams started and where I thought they could become real," James said. "There's really not a better place."
Not big on individual awards, James acknowledged his teammates, whom he referred to as his "Second Family."
"People have asked me the last couple of days how I feel about winning the MVP award. I don't know because it's an individual award. If you know me, I don't really get high on individual accolades," he said. "Individual accolades come when team success happens.
"When I have dreamed about being an MVP, I have always dreamed about winning championships, and celebrating with teammates. But if I sat up here and said I didn't enjoy this award I'd be lying to you. But those 14 guys down there are the main reason I'm receiving this award."
James then turned to his teammates in the audience and jokingly said, "It's for me and my teammates, but I'm going to keep it in my house for now."
Minutes later, James invited his teammates on stage and showed his appreciation by giving each one a flip camera.
Cavaliers coach Mike Brown praised the character of James, both on and off the court.
"More than a player, LeBron is a terrific person," said Brown, himself recently named NBA Coach of the Year. "In order to get to the level that he's gotten to you can't just be the best player.
"You have to have something inside of you that makes up a terrific human being. That's what he is. "
