Blog Boys Versus That Boy Nice Believers
The NBA MVP dissonance has more to do with psychographics than demographics. Also, Jim Boeheim killed a guy.
A discussion of the impact of race on NBA MVP voting heated up on Tuesday after Kendrick Perkins pointed out that the only players since 1990 to win MVP that weren’t top ten in scoring, were white. He was then berated by JJ Redick, who criticized Perkins for creating a narrative that implied voters are motivated by race.
While Perkins is right that race is a major factor— 68% of MVP voters are white— I believe voting partiality has more to do with psychographics than demographics.
NBA watchers consist of two unofficial parties: Blog Boys and ‘That Boy Nice’ Believers. Here’s a quick background for the un-initiated.
Blog Boys:
A term coined by Kevin Durant intended to slight dorky writers who evaluate based on analytics and data, rather than real-life basketball experience. In an ideal Blog Boy world, there would be no playoffs because an 82 game regular season is a better indicator of the best team. Blog Boys are not unlike progressives in Silicon Valley—motivated by efficiency, they tell themselves that statistics will help make the game more equitable while all sense of romance is erased.
That Boy Nice Believers:
Old heads and former players who trust their eyes to tell them when ‘that boy is nice’ or not. In an ideal That Boy Nice Believer society, only people who have played pro basketball would have a say, but Cam Reddish would be named Secretary of Transportation. That Boy Nice Believers might fall into the Urban Libertarian — they hate political correctness and miss the good ole days when your favorite player would smoke a cigarette in the locker room then get suspended for fighting.
Now, it just so happens that the darling of the Blog Boys, Nikola Jokic, is a pasty blob with a four inch vertical and statistics so efficient they’d make Prius blush. On the other side, That Boy Nice Believers’ star candidate, Joel Embiid, is a colossus from Cameroon who rocks the rim when he isn’t gliding around the perimeter with dexterity typically reserved for shifty guards.
No matter which side you’re on, Jokic has checked all the boxes for an MVP candidate this year: he’s a statistical marvel while also being the best player on the best team. However the two parties are at odds about the ramifications of Jokic winning the award this year within the context of NBA history.
That Boy Nice Believers fear that if Jokic, who won the award the last two seasons, wins his third in a row, he’ll breach an echelon only occupied by gatekeeper Gods, Larry Bird, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain. Blog Boys, who analyze MVP candidates each season in a vacuum, don’t mind a three-peat. If Jokic has been the best player… each of the three seasons…. then why shouldn’t he win every time?
This sort of disconnect can be traced back to 1981, when voting power was transferred from the players to sportswriters and broadcasters. Since then, in order to have an official say on the MVP, one has required a title at a prestigious newspaper. Those who rely on intuition or playing experience were considered not sophisticated enough to contribute.
Of course, mandating an institutional pedigree to have a vote is anti-Black, which supports Kendrick Perkins’ original point. Regardless, ESPN predictably apologized for Perkins’ comments. So, my suggestion to Big Perk is that if he wants to bring the voice back to his people— whoever they may be— to acknowledge the true conflict: Blogs Boys versus That Boy Nice Believers. Carry the hell on.
Jim Boeheim Killed A Guy
“Thrilled to be retired” said Jim Boeheim, who definitely was not pushed by school administration to stop coaching.