Zwar erfolgt die offizielle Verkündung des Most Valuable Players der NBA erst am Dienstag, Medienberichten zufolge aber soll Dirk Nowitzki als Nachfolger von Steve Nash bereits feststehen. Auch wenn die Dallas Mavericks in den Playoffs überraschend in der ersten Runde ausgeschieden ist (das Voting wurde vor den Playoffs abgeschlossen), bleibt Nowitzki der beste Spieler des besten Teams der NBA. Und wehe jetzt kommt jemand und sagt dass man nur über Meisterschaften MVP werden kann. Die NY Times dazu (vor allem der letzte Satz dürfte entscheidend sein):

Nowitzki becomes the first MVP in 25 years not to win a single playoff series; it last happened to Houston’s Moses Malone in 1981-82. That failure is likely to be remembered more than the fact he’s the first European honoree, and the first not to have attended a U.S. high school or college.

Nowitzki’s victory also ends the two-year reign of his good friend and former teammate Steve Nash of Phoenix. After blossoming into star players together in Dallas, one of them has been the MVP all three seasons since they’ve been separated.

Nowitzki earned it this time by being the best player on the best team, leading the Mavericks in scoring (24.6 points per game) and rebounding (8.9 per game).

He was an All-Star for the sixth straight year and started the game for the first time. That was a first for a Dallas player — as is this honor. On Thursday, he was chosen to the all-NBA first-team for a third straight year.

While Nowitzki’s ninth season wasn’t his highest-scoring, it was his most accurate. He set career-highs in shooting percentage on field goals (50.2), 3-pointers (41.6) and free throws (90.4); no other player in the league topped 50, 40 and 90 percent.

Glückwunsch, Dirk!