Bernard King was one of the rare talents in the 1980s whose individual brilliance never quite translated into championship success or even leading his respective team to the conference finals. Still, the 6'7" small forward's peak was so impactful that he pushed none other than Larry Bird in the 1983-84 MVP race.
In fact, the Brooklyn native believed that if the right to vote had been limited to only the players in the league, he would have taken the award home. Unfortunately, Bird's image as a media-frenzy superstar tipped the scales in the Boston Celtics star's favor.
Statistically, King may have had the scoring edge, but the Indiana native's all-around impact as a playmaker, rebounder and team leader carried greater weight, especially since the C's were amongst the top six teams on both ends of the floor. So, as the MVP ballots were counted, "Larry Legend" received 52 first-place votes, compared to King, who got only 11.
Speaking on Cedric Maxwell's podcast, the four-time All-Star shared his belief that had the MVP award been decided by just the voting of the players in the league, he would've undoubtedly come out on top.
"Here's the interesting thing - I finally supplanted Dr. J on the (All-NBA) First Team as an old pro. So, it was Larry and myself on the First Team. So, the players in the league, probably not you, voted me the Most Valuable Player. So, the peers of the league voted me the Most Valuable Player. Larry won that award on the press side," the legendary Knicks forward said. "Who knows better, players or the press? I'll leave it at that that."
Any hopes of Bernard changing that perspective were dashed in the second round of the playoffs, where Bird emerged as the best scorer, rebounder, and perimeter defender (getting steals) to eventually eliminate King and his Knicks en route to winning the Larry O'Brien trophy for his team.
So, while "B" may not be celebrated today as one of the most influential forwards in league history, the truth is that he once stood toe-to-toe with arguably the greatest player in the history of the storied franchise in the NBA and gave him a good run for his money.
In fact, the Brooklyn native believed that if the right to vote had been limited to only the players in the league, he would have taken the award home. Unfortunately, Bird's image as a media-frenzy superstar tipped the scales in the Boston Celtics star's favor.
Did King deserve the 1984 MVP over Bird?
That season, King averaged a then-career-high 26.3 points per game, leading the New York Knicks to a solid 47-35 record. With the Knicks already boasting the best defensive rating in the league that campaign, it was clear Bernard's leadership was giving them a solid identity. Meanwhile, "The Hick from The French Lick" put up 24.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game while also leading the league in free-throw percentage. More impressively, he anchored the Celtics to a stellar 62-20 record in the regular season.Statistically, King may have had the scoring edge, but the Indiana native's all-around impact as a playmaker, rebounder and team leader carried greater weight, especially since the C's were amongst the top six teams on both ends of the floor. So, as the MVP ballots were counted, "Larry Legend" received 52 first-place votes, compared to King, who got only 11.
Speaking on Cedric Maxwell's podcast, the four-time All-Star shared his belief that had the MVP award been decided by just the voting of the players in the league, he would've undoubtedly come out on top.
"Here's the interesting thing - I finally supplanted Dr. J on the (All-NBA) First Team as an old pro. So, it was Larry and myself on the First Team. So, the players in the league, probably not you, voted me the Most Valuable Player. So, the peers of the league voted me the Most Valuable Player. Larry won that award on the press side," the legendary Knicks forward said. "Who knows better, players or the press? I'll leave it at that that."
Any hopes of Bernard changing that perspective were dashed in the second round of the playoffs, where Bird emerged as the best scorer, rebounder, and perimeter defender (getting steals) to eventually eliminate King and his Knicks en route to winning the Larry O'Brien trophy for his team.
King was the only one to challenge Bird during his three-MVP run
Interestingly, during Bird's three-peat MVP run from 1984 to 1986, no other player came as close as King. Magic Johnson received just one first-place vote in 1985, while Dominique Wilkins earned five in 1986. In contrast, King's 11 first-place votes in 1984 were the most significant push anyone made against Bird during that stretch.So, while "B" may not be celebrated today as one of the most influential forwards in league history, the truth is that he once stood toe-to-toe with arguably the greatest player in the history of the storied franchise in the NBA and gave him a good run for his money.
Brid won the MVP 84-85-86. He won the championship 84 beating a great Lakers team, lost to a great Lakers team 85, won title in 86 on a team that's on the short list for greatest ever. Bernard was a great player but Bird was the best for a few seasons. Sadly Bernard's injuries took away a lot from his career.
