With the Knicks‘ 2021 regular season finally winding down and the Hall of Fame enjoying its greatest induction since the Dream Team in 2010, NBA awards have since been on the mind. Players have submitted their resumes for each award and now it’s on us to decide who will be remembered and for what.
Most of these awards spark heated debate among NBA media and fans alike. Jokic vs. Embiid vs. Giannis for the MVP. How do we value Chris Paul’s contributions to winning compared to Steph Curry’s incredible statistical year? Does LeBron’s season have the quantity to match the quality? On and on they go.
We all take these awards so seriously, and rightly so. Those of us who love the game of basketball must love its history and therefore respect what the winning of one of these awards can do to a player’s legacy. The difference between one MVP and no MVP is significant. Aside from just how much we like arguing, we don’t have to take a step back and tell ourselves “this is just a game”. It is, but it’s the game we love, and it’s important because we say it’s important.
That said, there have been a few key NBA awards left off the ballot this year. Awards that might not warrant the same kind of attention that the MVP does, but should still at least get a shoutout. These are the Reverse NBA Awards.
There is no voting in these NBA awards. I am the supreme overlord here. I decide who’s on the ballot and who wins. So there!