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NBA: 25 players who should have won MVP in retrospect

By Hans Themistode

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)
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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Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

NBA: 25 players who should have won MVP in retrospect: 2. Elgin Baylor 1962-63

Only a few things were guaranteed to happen during the 1950s and 60s. Death, taxes and Bill Russell winning an NBA Championship. During the 1962-63 season, there was no difference. Russell and his Boston Celtics dominated the NBA landscape and he was the heart and soul of that team.

Unsurprisingly, Russell’s Celtics finished number one in the Eastern Conference with a record of 58-22 and he dominated. On the year, he put up his normal monstrous stat line of 16.8 points, 23.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Those numbers are nothing to sneeze at but all in all, Russell’s production didn’t come close to Elgin Baylor’s. The Los Angeles forward poured in 34 points a night to go along with 14.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists.

For those of you that believe Baylor was snubbed simply because of his team’s record can simply think again. Baylor’s Lakers finished 53-27. Even with Russell playing primarily close to the basket, Baylor shot a better percentage from the field, 45.3 to 43.2. Baylor’s win shares also ranked higher, 14.4 to 13.5. There’s simply no other way to look at this one, the voters got it flat out wrong.