Voter who blocked LeBron James from making NBA history defends his Carmelo Anthony pick
NEW YORK – A single voter kept LeBron James from making NBA history.
The Miami Heat's superstar fell one vote shy of being the league's first unanimous MVP winner when the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, a sports writer who has covered the NBA for nine years, cast his ballot in favor of the New York Knicks' Carmelo Anthony. The award is determined by a group of 120 sportswriters and broadcasters, and an online fan vote.
"I just honestly felt that Carmelo Anthony lifted the Knicks to new heights this season – a No. 2 seed and their first division title in 19 years – with an aging roster, the team's second-best player [Amar'e Stoudemire] out most of the season and a myriad of other injuries," Washburn told Yahoo! Sports.
"LeBron James is unquestionably the best player in the league, but I felt this season Anthony had more value to his team."
[Related: Don't let him fool you; Derrick Rose is not returning for playoffs]
Anthony, who finished third in the vote behind James and Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, was appreciative of the support.
"I'll take that vote," Anthony said.
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