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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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Jason Kidd
Jason Kidd (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

NBA: 25 players who should have won MVP in retrospect: 21. Jason Kidd, 2001-02

Everything points in the direction of Tim Duncan. There wasn’t a single season during his 19-year career which he didn’t dominate but his 2001-02 campaign was ridiculous.

Once Duncan got his man down low, it was an automatic bucket. If defenders were strong enough to force him out of the paint, that didn’t mean they were safe. Duncan would simply get into the triple threat position, jab step a few times and bank it off the glass. His 25.5 points per game that year were a career-high. In addition to that, his 12.7 rebounds stand as the second-best total of his career. When you put up those kinds of numbers and lead a group to 58 victories, winning the MVP seems like a no-brainer.

Yet, those who voted for him got it wrong.

Jason Kidd was a walking triple-double and nightly highlight package all wrapped into one fun package that season. His numbers overall were impressive, 14.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 9.9 assists and 2.1 steals. When juxtaposed next to Duncan, it would appear the big man had the clear edge, but Kidd’s numbers had more substance.

One year prior, the New Jersey Nets were God awful. They picked up just 26 wins and were constantly thought of as a dumpster fire. A trade for Kidd was thought to be a step in the right direction but not even the Nets could have predicted what was about to happen next. Kidd completely transformed them into bonafide contenders. The Nets doubled their win total and made a run to the NBA Finals.

There simply aren’t many players in NBA history that can turn a perpetual lottery team into NBA title contenders single-handedly.