According to the NBA's official release, the Black Mamba finished behind Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Kobe earned the most fifth-place votes (27) of all candidates, and he also garnered 23 fourth-place votes, 12 third-place votes and four second-place votes.
In a year when the Lakers needed him more than ever, the 34-year-old veteran notched 27.3 points, 6.0 assists and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 46 percent from the field.
Multiple injuries to Steve Nash forced him to facilitate more than usual, and his six assists per night matches a career-high set in 2004-05.
Throughout his career, Bryant has been labelled as a do-it-myself scorer, but he made a concerted effort to share the wealth and get Dwight Howard involved this season. Kobe had 11 games of double-digit assists and 23 games of at least eight assists.
Although it's tough to make a case against the four stars who finished ahead of him, this wasn't your typical fifth-place MVP season.
Los Angeles required monumental production from Bryant, as the club endured a coaching change and injuries to Howard, Nash and Pau Gasol. Bryant was up to the task, as he led the Lakers from sub-.500 misery to playoff contention.
He was more than willing to take on whatever role the team needed him to fill on a given night, and the result was an exciting mix of scoring and facilitating.
Even though he engineered a significant uptick in assists, he did score in bunches when necessary, including 15 games of 35-plus points.
Bryant finished third in the league in both scoring and usage percentage (31.7 percent). During the team's final playoff push in April, he averaged more than 45 minutes per night.
While LeBron James and Kevin Durant de...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
