The NBA MVP votes were revealed on Tuesday and, as expected, Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic took home the hardware.
But there was a brow-raising vote that got a lot of attention across social media.
As the full vote breakdown was released, it was unusual to see a lone first-place vote cast for Knicks veteran guard Derrick Rose.
Rose, a former MVP, had himself a fine season after being traded from the Pistons to the Knicks. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 47% from the field.
He helped lead the Knicks to clinch the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
But Rose was a role player, averaging 26 minutes per game, and was not even the MVP candidate on his own team. Julius Randle put up an MVP-caliber season and did not receive a single first-place vote.
Everyone on social media was very confused by this.
Alas, there was a semi-rational explanation.
Per Marc Stein, the vote cast for Rose was a cumulative fan vote, rather than a single media member.
Rose had always been a fan favorite in Chicago from his time with the Bulls, and his role in helping the Knicks unexpectedly reach the playoffs certainly won over a few fans in New York.
But to get a first-place MVP vote? Well, it is still a bit unusual considering the other noteworthy names that did not receive one.
It’s a nice gesture nonetheless, we suppose.
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