Larry may Finally Win MVP

1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record 44-15
3/4/1984

This might be the year Larry Bird finally wins the NBA's Most Valuable Player award. Bird, New York's Bernard King, and Los Angeles' Magic Johnson appear to be clear frontrunners in an unusually centerless and wide-open MVP chase. As usual, Bird is averaging 23.6 points, 10 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game. He is shooting 49 percent from the field, 88 percent from the line and leads his team in almost every offensive category.

Numbers don't tell the whole story, however. In his fifth year, Bird has assumed the role of the Celtics' team leader. He leads by example rather than words, but when the Celtics slump, Bird is the first to point out the problems. He asks nothing more of the others than he is willing to give himself. He is still the last player to leave the practice floor almost every day. Bird's MVP campaign started last May 2, after the Celtics had been humiliated in four playoff games against the Milwaukee Bucks. He said he was going to "punish himself" by "working harder than ever" all summer. He would not tolerate a repeat performance.

His contagious attitude has guided this talented team to the best record in basketball. Now, when the Celtics are suddenly struggling to beat good teams, Bird is first to admit the malaise and confront it head-on. Although Bird's numbers aren't appreciably better than in past years, he has his best shot at the MVP because: (1) He's the best player on the team with (by far) the best overall record; (2) He has emerged as a team leader; and (3) No NBA center is having a dominant year.

The latter point is worth exploring, because centers virtually own the MVP trophy. Centers have won 23 of 28 MVP awards, including 18 of the last 19. Since Bird came into the league, Moses Malone has won the award three times. Julius Erving (1981) is the only noncenter to win the MVP since Oscar Robertson claimed it in 1964. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (six), Wilt Chamberlain (three), Malone (three), Bill Russell, Wes Unseld, Willis Reed, Dave Cowens, Bob McAdoo and Bill Walton (one each) are the other winners in the last 19 years.

Overall, Russell won the award five times and Chamberlain four. Other winners are Bob Pettit (twice) and Bob Cousy (once). Pettit and Erving are the only forwards, and Cousy and Robertson the only guards who've won. It'll be a noncenter this year. Bird will get his strongest challenge from King and Johnson. King is presently the most feared and explosive player in the league. He doesn't give his team the rebounding, passing or defense that Bird does, but he may be more valuable. Imagine the Knicks without him. Meanwhile, Magic has a chance to set some lasting assist records and is clearly the best player in the Western Conference. He may get every first- place vote cast from the West, while King and Bird split the ballots in the East.

Elsewhere, Erving is having the kind of year Willie Stargell had for the Pirates in 1979. Malone and Abdul-Jabbar are going to get some votes, and there will be pockets of support for Utah's Adrian Dantley, Detroit's Isiah Thomas, Seattle's Jack Sikma, Milwaukee's Sidney Moncrief, Dallas' Mark Aguirre and Washington's Jeff Ruland (without Ruland, the Bullets might be the worst team in the league).

But in the end, it'll be Bird, King or Magic.

MISC

The Seattle SuperSonics might be a little groggy for today's 1 p.m. Garden party with the Celtics. They played host to Indiana late Friday, awoke at 5 a.m. Pacific time yesterday, flew all day and practiced at Hellenic College in Brookline last night. Seattle is 8-19 on the road, but has won three of its last four in Boston and six of nine here since 1977. The Sonics are also 4-1 against the Atlantic Division, losing to Boston in the Kingdome, 111-100, two weeks ago. Danny Vranes will be starting at forward along with Reggie King, who was tortured by Cedric Maxwell in the Dome. Sikma is the man in the middle, and coach Lenny Wilkens goes with a starting backcourt of Gus Williams and Al Wood. The bench is deep. Tom Chambers is an explosive backup forward and David Thompson is averaging 19.8 points on 64-percent shooting (while playing only 24 minutes per game since recovering from a groin injury). The Sonics are the only team standing between the Lakers and the NBA finals.

Maybe M.L. Carr is right. Maybe Ralph Sampson will end up wishing he'd gone to graduate school this year. Ralphie was complaining about coach Bill Fitch's interminable practices this week. "We just aren't jumping and showing the quickness that was there a month ago," said Sampson. "The last two weeks, everybody has been going through the fatigue aspect." Always willing to listen to all points of view, Laughing Boy Fitch snapped back with, "Ralph Sampson really doesn't have much to compare our workouts to, since he's a rookie." The Rockets went out the next night and lost to Kansas City. It was their 10th loss in 13 outings . . . While Houston is slipping from playoff contention, the Kings appear to have helped themselves considerably with the Reggie Theus- for-Steve Johnson heist. KC is 5-3 since the trade, and Theus is averaging 13.7 points and 6.3 assists while starting alongside Larry Drew. Meanwhile, the Bulls are an ugly 1-8 since Theus left. the Bulls lost their fifth straight at home Tuesday, fans were chanting "Reggie, Reggie." . . . Speaking of player transactions, would the Sonics be interested in New York's Ray Williams when his contract runs out? An All-Brother "Ray and Gus" backcourt would be fun . . . From Milwaukee we're hearing that Don Nelson is a little burned out and might not coach after this year . . . The latest nicknames for dunk king Larry Nance: Flash Nance, HiFiNance, Slambassador, The Monk of Dunk and Skylab.