LeBron James Says Of The MVP Race: 'I’ve Shown What I’m Capable Of Doing'

James said critics have long speculated over whether he'd be as successful in the Western Conference. He put an end to that conversation this season.

LeBron James won three NBA championships with Miami and Cleveland and made eight-straight Finals appearances from 2011-2018, but his greatness was still questioned. 

Sure, he could do that in the East. But the West is a different animal. Would he have that kind of success in the better conference?

James responded this season. 

Before the NBA was paused March 11 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, James was averaging a league-leading 10.6 assists, 25.7 points and 7.9 rebounds a game for the Lakers, who are atop the Western Conference with a record of 49-14.

"As far as the MVP race, I think that I’ve shown what I’m capable of doing," James said in a video conference call Monday. "Not only individually, but from a team’s perspective, us being No. 1 in the West. There was a lot of conversation about -- LeBron can do those things in the East, but if he ever came to the West, what could he do? You know? So, I heard all of that. To be able to have our team at the top of the Western Conference and playing the way that we were playing at that time, and the way I was playing, it’s definitely a good feeling."

This season's MVP award will be based on games through March 11. James said Monday he wasn't aware that the league had made that decision.  

"So, nothing counts after that?" James asked. "I mean I don’t really have a thought because I haven’t really thought about [it] until now, until you asked the question."

Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Saturday that James should win MVP and Anthony Davis should win Defensive Player of the Year, adding that James really distinguished himself in two of the team's final games before the hiatus against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 6 and the Clippers on March 8, when he averaged 32.5 points, 8.5 assists and eight rebounds in the Lakers' wins. 

"In that weekend, LeBron took the toughest assignment in both games," Vogel said. "He guarded Kawhi [Leonard] in the Clippers game and did a great job with him there. And then he guarded Giannis [Antetokounmpo] in the Bucks game when AD was in foul trouble and did a great job in those two situations. I feel like after what he’s able to do on the defensive end, combined with the dominance that he exhibits with not just scoring the ball, assisting the ball, but orchestrating our offense, leading us on the break, I think that weekend was probably a great indicator or a great measuring stick to those two awards."

The 35-year-old, who is in 17th season in the league, said he's not upset that he didn't get a chance to further cement his case for MVP by playing in the final 19 games of the season.

"No, I’m not disappointed because things happen," he said. "You control what you can control. And I can’t control that."

James has already definitively accomplished one thing this season.

He's proven that he can be successful in any conference. On any side of the country. On any team.

So maybe that will put an end to the conversation that his success in the East should come with an asterisk. 

"Bro I swear I heard that for 15 years!" James tweeted Monday.