CLEVELAND Jerry West, limping on a bad left hamstring from two games earlier, had led a furious comeback from a 17-point deficit, getting the Lakers within a point of the Celtics in Game 7 of the 1969 NBA Finals. But after a two-point lo s to the team that had already beaten West's Lakers five times in the Finals, the superstar guard told reporters,Every year, it gets more difficult to sit here and talk about it. I dont think I can take it much longer.Around that time, West was Matt Blair Jersey approached by Al Silverman, a small man wearing gla ses. Silverman was the editor of Sport magazine, and he informed West that hed been chosen MVP of the Finalsand would win a Dodge Charger. West was disconsolate at the lo s, but he was no fool he accepted the free car.LEBRON: | West was the first player to be namedNBA Finals MVP. Now, 46 years later, it remains the only time that the winner of the award came from the losing team.This has become relevant because strong sentiment has developed in favor of picking a po sible Finals loser as MVP of the series.As well it should. There is nothing in the voting instructions that says only half the players who participate in the series the winning halfare eligible to earn the Finals MVP. Its simply the player who was most valuable. West averaged 37.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and 7.4 a sists in the 1969 Finals, and while John Havlicek was the clear choice from Boston (28.3 points, 11.0 rebounds), there was no denying just how great West was.And James has been the story of these Finals. With fellow stars Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving out, James has had to dominate in order for the Cavs to remain competitive. He has come through, averaging 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.8 a Patrick Peterson Jersey sists through five games. And though hemight have ruffled feathers by declaring himself the best player in the world after Game 5, can anyone watching this series honestly argue with him?Its po sible that Warriors guard and reigning league MVP Stephen Curry (37 points in Game 5) will come through with a big game in Game 6 and perhaps in a Game 7, too.CURRY: | As of now, the Warriors MVP might well be Andre Iguodala, who would join Bostons Cedric Maxwellon a short list of NBA Finals MVPs who were not destined for the Hall of Fame. Maxwell, who beat out four Ameer Abdullah Jersey future Hall of Fame teammates to win the 1981 Finals MVP,is the only eligible Finals MVP who has not been inducted in Springfield, Ma s., thanks to the induction this year of the 1974Celtics' Jo Jo White. Former Pistons guardChauncey Billups, who won the 2004 Finals MVP, also may end up on the outside.But there has been only one Finals MVP from the losing side primarily because, over the years, there are only a handful who even had a case. Being the best player in the series and still losing the series is a rarity.If LeBron maintains the kind of statistical production weve seen in the first five games, he will join a pretty elite list. Only 18 times has a player averaged better than 30 points in an NBA Finals, and 12 of those 18 won the series MVP. Two, Kevin Durant in 2012 and Allen Iverson in 2001, were eliminated in five games and not given serious MVP consideration. Nor should they have James in 2012 and Shaquille ONeal in 2001 were easily better.Another 30-point scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, averaged 33.4 points in 1980 for the victorious Justin Jefferson T Shirts Lakersbut lost out to teammate Magic Johnson, in large part because he mi sed the decisive Game 6, when Johnson stepped up to play center in his place.Thus, only three times in NBA Finals history has a player averaged 30 points in a close series and, playing for the loser, not won MVP.It happened to West in 1970, when the Knicks Willis Reed was clearly deserving. Abdul-Jabbar averaged 32.6 points and 12.1 rebounds for the Bucks in a seven-game lo s in 1974, but Havlicek (26.4 points, 7.7 rebounds) won the MVP for the Celtics. And Bill Waltons 18.5 points, 19.0 rebounds and 5.2 a sists topped the Sixers Julius Erving (30.3 points) in 1977.But even if this winds up a losing effort, no player in Finals history has pushed his team quite as farwith so little helpas James. The fact that his Cavaliers Greg Joseph Jersey might not win is irrelevant, as is the fact that no player since Silverman approached West at the old Forum has lost the series but won the MVP. Look closer at the history, and it supports picking James to win.