NBA: 25 players who should have won MVP in retrospect

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 05: NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson speaks during the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Player of the Year press conference prior to the 2019 NCAA men's Final Four at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 5, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /

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NBA: 25 players who should have won MVP in retrospect: 14. Dolph Schayes 1957-58

Bill Russell was all about winning. The individual awards were great and something he gladly accepted but when it came down to it, Russell thoroughly enjoyed taking the home main prize at the end of the year.

Still, with that said, Russell put together the sort of stats that allowed him to be one of the front runners for the MVP award every season. During the 1957-58 campaign, it was no different. The lifelong Boston Celtic dominated teams on the boards, hauling in 22.7 a night. He was also an effective player in the post, pouring in 16.6 points per game for a 49-23 Celtic team.

Without question, Russell was impressive. But the league MVP? Not at all.

The man who should have walked with the regular season’s most prized possession was Dolph Schayes. The Hall of Fame power forward was the flat-out better player that season. Schayes took care of business by averaging 24.9 points and 14.2 rebounds. His Syracuse Nationals weren’t quite as good, finishing 41-31, but in terms of winning, no one affected it more than he did as he led the league in win shares with 13.7.

With Russell racking up NBA titles practically every year, MVP voters could have given Schayes a break by handing him the MVP award as a consolation prize.