5 dark horse candidates to win the 2022-23 MVP award

5. LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James is sidelined at the moment and his return this season is uncertain as the Los Angeles Lakers fight for their play-in lives. When he’s been on the court, James has been magnificent. Without him, the Lakers have looked lost, only adding to James’ value.

King James is proving age is nothing but a number. At a ripe 38 years old, the Lakers star is averaging 29.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game. He also provided one of the highlights of the season, when he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the career points leader.

The four-time MVP hasn’t won the award in a decade and faces an uphill battle to take it for the fifth time. The competition this year is strong and James’ ability to stay on the court is fracturing as Father Time tries catching up to the legend.

It’s hard to imagine an MVP playing in barely half of a team’s games; James has played in 47 this season and seems unlikely to hit 60 appearances for the year.

Additionally, it’s hard to win an MVP award when your team has an atrocious season. There’s a chance the Lakers aren’t even going to make the play-in tournament this season. Frankly, that chance existed even before James’ latest injury.

Then again, the Lakers falling further from the playoff picture in James’ absence could go to show just how valuable the superstar is to the franchise.