LeBron James is a polarizing superstar in the scope of NBA history. There is no doubt he is a living legend, yet some fans are constantly eager to compare him to other legends of the game. There is also the discussion about James’ losing record in the NBA Finals.
That is an interesting viewpoint to take, as he does have four rings and was named Finals MVP in all four wins. James’ friend and agent Rich Paul is one-half of the “Game Over” podcast with analyst Max Kellerman. The two took a deep dive into James arguably being snubbed for more MVP awards in his Finals runs.
Max Kellerman Declares LeBron James was Snubbed as Finals MVP on Multiple Occasions
Paul is always going to defend James and rightfully so. It was Kellerman who came to his defense over the potential snubs.
Max Kellerman says LeBron James should’ve won Finals MVP in his finals losses several times:
“The MVP should usually be the best player on the championship team. It’s 10 teams in each conference. That’s two thirds of the league still playing after the regular season. Your… pic.twitter.com/EQCEY9AePA
— JayTakes (@SportsWithJay0) August 28, 2026
“The reason it’s an interesting question is because the MVP should usually be the best player on the championship team,” Kellerman said.
“That demonstrates that you’re the MVP. 10 teams from each conference, that’s 20 out of 30 that’s two-thirds of the league still playing after the regular season. The MVP is never coming from a team that didn’t at least make a play-in. Then it’s two-month long playoffs. The postseason is two months long and those are the highest leverage games,” he added.
Kellerman also said, “Usually, your guy (James) should have gotten MVP on the losing team in the Finals several times, because clearly his team was outmatched in the Finals.”
James notably carried the 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers to the Finals, where they stood no chance against the San Antonio Spurs. He also lost three more Finals with the Cavs against the Golden State Warriors, a juggernaut.
“LeBron in 2015 against the Warriors, clearly and by far the MVP of the series,” Kellerman continued. “They gave it to Iggy because he defended LeBron. They couldn’t give it to Steph, because then you compare Steph and LeBron as the best offensive players on their team. LeBron’s clearly better. You can’t give it to LeBron because his team lost. You give it to the guy who guarded LeBron, which is a way of saying it was LeBron.”
James will always get a favorable narrative when Paul is part of the conversation. But Kellerman still raises an intriguing point. Was Andre Iguodala truly the MVP over James in the 2015 Finals? Or, as Kellerman points out, did he win the award simply because he guarded the true MVP in LeBron?
LeBron James’ legacy will continue to be dissected for years to come. The fact that he is being argued as the true MVP of the Finals series his team lost shows how he is one of one in the NBA legacy conversation.
