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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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Stewart /Allsport Mandatory /

NBA: 25 players who should have won MVP in retrospect: 12. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1972-73

It’s clear that voters of the MVP award simply put way too much stock into the win-loss record. Now, without question, it does matter. MVP winners shouldn’t come from teams who fail to make the playoffs but they shouldn’t be exclusive to only squads who sport the best record. Yet, that seems to be the case. Take the 1972-73 voting process for example.

The Boston Celtics were flat-out unstoppable that year. They won 68 games while only dropping 14.

Center Dave Cowens played a huge part in that success. He was a walking double-double, putting up 20.5 points and 16.2 rebounds. Great numbers without question, but Kareem Abdul-Jabbar should have easily walked away with the MVP award.

The Lakers tallied 60 wins on the year and Abdul-Jabbar was a force on the inside. He averaged 30.2 points, 16.1 rebounds and dished out five assists for good measure. Abdul-Jabbar was also a much more efficient player, pouring in his points at a 55.4 percentage from the field goal percentage, ten percentage points higher than Cowen. Abdul-Jabbar’s win shares almost doubled his man, 21.9 to 12. With everything pointing in his direction other than overall team wins, it’s a mystery how Cowens walked away with the award.