How did Bird not win the MVP in 1979-80?

[RebusRankin]

Bird should have been MVP in 1981 and 1987. Finals MVP in 1981.

[Celtics4ever]

Do they ever give it to a rookie?

[D.o.s.]

Really?  The 80s had better big men.  Parish, Moses, Kareem, Lanier, Sampson, Hakeem, Sikma, Ewing.  Am I forgetting anyone?  That decade was the best period of basketball.  Ever.

That's reductive.

How so?

How is it not? Not being cheeky, just asking, on what planet is this statement not reductive?

[D.o.s.]

Do they ever give it to a rookie?

Wilt and Wes both won it in their rookie seasons, but that was way back.

[Moranis]

To be fair, maybe ML Carr and Gerald Henderson are responsible for the 32 win turnaround (Tiny was also much healthier on the whole and played in 13 more games). 

Bird had a nice season, but 21/10/4.5 should not be winning MVP awards.  I mean Kareem eclipsed Bird in scoring, rebounding, shot blocking and had the same assists that year, and led the team that was the NBA champion (not to mention had nearly 3 more win shares than Bird on teams that won 60 or more games).

[ram]

To be fair, maybe ML Carr and Gerald Henderson are responsible for the 32 win turnaround (Tiny was also much healthier on the whole and played in 13 more games). 
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Tiny not only played more games but he played way more minutes (1,200 more) and was way better.  Rick Robey also was with the team for the entire season (36 games the previous year).  They also added Pistol Pete for the last 1/3 of the season.

Max was the FINALS MVP and deserved it. LB only averaged 15 PPG in the FINALS and shot 42% as Houston really focused on shutting him down plus he tired from the Sixers series.  Max was great (especially in the crucial game 5-28 points) with 34 OFF REB in the 6 games and 18 PPG.

[guava_wrench]

Kareem was still at his peak and yes, he deserved it.
I've said it before, but I still find it amazing that Russell and Wilt played at the same time with Kareem just following them.  There has been no one since that has reached their level.  It's not because the game has changed.  I truly believe that it was a unique coincidence that these three were born so close apart. All three would dominate the game today.

So true.  Kareem represented the end of the Era of the Big Man.  There were many other great great big men then like Nate Thurmond, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld (best 6'7" center ever). Much earlier than Russell and Wilt was George Mikan, though I never saw him live).

The game is more wing oriented today.

It is wing oriented because today's 7 footers aren't as talented.

Not at all. Ever heard of Duncan?

Does anyone believe that Wilt could have dominated today like he did back then? Guys train more now and more people take the sport seriously, so outliers are closer to the mean than they were back then.

[D.o.s.]

My knee jerk reaction is that I don't think you understand just how ridiculously good Wilt Chamberlain was.

He might be the most underrated player in NBA history, judging by the fact that he seems to be measured strictly in terms of mythology.

[Who]

I think Wilt would go for 28-32ppg and 16-19rpg in today's game along with leading the league in blocks (winning DPOY in process) and leading the league in FG%. MVP.

[mgent]

Kareem was still at his peak and yes, he deserved it.
I've said it before, but I still find it amazing that Russell and Wilt played at the same time with Kareem just following them.  There has been no one since that has reached their level.  It's not because the game has changed.  I truly believe that it was a unique coincidence that these three were born so close apart. All three would dominate the game today.

So true.  Kareem represented the end of the Era of the Big Man.  There were many other great great big men then like Nate Thurmond, Willis Reed, Wes Unseld (best 6'7" center ever). Much earlier than Russell and Wilt was George Mikan, though I never saw him live).

The game is more wing oriented today.

It is wing oriented because today's 7 footers aren't as talented.

Not at all. Ever heard of Duncan?

Does anyone believe that Wilt could have dominated today like he did back then? Guys train more now and more people take the sport seriously, so outliers are closer to the mean than they were back then.

It's almost universally accepted.  There's tons of arguments that Wilt would be more dominant today because you wouldn't be allowed to touch him the way you used to with the old rules.

[mgent]

I think Wilt would go for 28-32ppg and 16-19rpg in today's game along with leading the league in blocks (winning DPOY in process) and leading the league in FG%. MVP.

Don't forget FTA.

[D.o.s.]

I've always been curious about why, exactly, Wilt's been so neglected in the recent era of basketball discourse. Anyone have any ideas?

[Donoghus]

I've always been curious about why, exactly, Wilt's been so neglected in the recent era of basketball discourse. Anyone have any ideas?

Distance from when he played and his premature death. 

Anyone that saw him live and remembers it is on the older end of the spectrum (prob not blogging either).  I'm guessing the bulk of the media that covered him during his career are now dead.

His early death prohibited him from going on a similar path to Russell who the league still shines a spotlight on.  Russell gets a lot of appreciation because he's still here.

[Moranis]

For all Wilt's faults, he was an absolutely incredible athlete that kept himself in superb condition.  He averaged 48.5 minutes one year.  He was strong, fast, quick, and always in shape.  This was a man that was a professional volleyball player in his 50's and was competing at the top level (now sure his height helped, but still).  In today's game, Wilt would score like Shaq, rebound like Rodman, and defend like Dikembe.  He would still be the most dominant player in NBA history.  He was that good and that physically gifted.  He would basically be the 7 foot version of Lebron James. 

[Moranis]

I've always been curious about why, exactly, Wilt's been so neglected in the recent era of basketball discourse. Anyone have any ideas?

Distance from when he played and his premature death. 

Anyone that saw him live and remembers it is on the older end of the spectrum (prob not blogging either).  I'm guessing the bulk of the media that covered him during his career are now dead.

His early death prohibited him from going on a similar path to Russell who the league still shines a spotlight on.  Russell gets a lot of appreciation because he's still here.

Plus he was a bit of ****.  When you aren't the most well liked person, you don't get the fanfare that you might otherwise deserve.