NBA Award Voting Sucks, Here’s Why:
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AJ Slusarczyk
Every year, as the NBA reveals its award winners, social media transforms into a battleground of fan dissatisfaction. Digital echoes of fanbases bemoaning about how their favorite players just got “robbed” of an award. Considering the amount of parody in the league this season, this year might just break records for virtual uproar.
So, what’s the deal? Why is there all of this chaos when awards are announced? Well, it’s pretty simple. Two direct problems contribute to this issue; Voter fatigue and the lack of a clear definition for each award.
We are all aware of voter fatigue. As it has been a topic that resurfaces every year. For those of you that do not know the term, voter fatigue refers to award voters getting “tired” of having a certain player repeat as an award winner and instead directing their vote towards a potential first time winner. Obviously, this is unfair but we as fans like to think this happens more than it actually does.
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Last season’s MVP saga exemplifies voter fatigue. Despite social media favoriting Jokic for a large portion of the year, Joel Embiid miraculously finished as the winner, sparking swift fan reactions. Instances like these fuel claims of voter fatigue.
Though voter fatigue may seem like the main problem, it all stems from the NBA not providing proper criteria and definitions for each award. It’s like trying to decipher a complex play without a playbook at hand; everyone’s winging it. If you were to ask people on the street to define the ‘Most Valuable Player Award’, answers would vary. Some will say “Well it’s the award that goes to the best player in the league” or “it belongs to the most valuable player to their team.”
As for a solution, I’m afraid there may not be a direct one. Shuffling the award voters each year may seem like the best bet, however, this would only create more inconsistency and more bias. The award voting ballot is handpicked by the NBA and consists of 100 analysts and broadcasters. They are chosen for a reason, the league truly believes that they are the right people for the task. So for now, if your favorite player doesn’t get his name called at the award show this year, try your best to stay quiet.
