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Cleveland Cavaliers star point guard Kyrie Irving is listed as a longshot to win the 2012 NBA MVP award, but at the ripe age of 20 years old he would also be the youngest player to ever win the honor. Chicago Bulls PG Derrick Rose earned the title of youngest-ever league MVP when he claimed the title for the 2010-11 season as a 22-year-old rising star.
This year, Irving has 60-to-1 odds and Rose has 50-to-1 odds, while the favorites are LeBron James (9/5), Kevin Durant (15/4), Kobe Bryant (12/1), Russell Westbrook (16/1), Dwight Howard 16/1 and Steve Nash (16/1), according to Bovada.
Irving has the same odds to win the Most Valuable Player award as future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce and Tim Duncan. He also has better odds than Joe Johnson, LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Iguodala.
If the Cavaliers want to make a push to the playoffs, it will take an MVP-type effort from Irving, who doesn't yet have the supporting cast around him to accommodate any sort of sophomore slump. Dion Waiters, Tristan Thompson and Tyler Zeller are probably the team's other best assets, but they are all very young and inexperienced. Meanwhile, 30-year-old big man Anderson Varejao probably qualifies as the veteran presence on the squad. In other words, there is a lot of pressure on Irving to produce.
Here is a look at the Odds To Win 2012-2013 NBA MVP, via Bovada:
| Odds To Win 2012-2013 NBA MVP | ||
|---|---|---|
| LeBron James (MIA) | 9/5 | |
| Kevin Durant (OKC) | 15/4 | |
| Kobe Bryant (LAL) | 12/1 | |
| Russell Westbrook (OKC) | 16/1 | |
| Dwight Howard (LAL) | 16/1 | |
| Steve Nash (LAL) | 16/1 | |
| Deron Williams (BK) | 25/1 | |
| Dwyane Wade (MIA) | 22/1 | |
| Blake Griffin (LAC) | 25/1 | |
| Chris Paul (LAC) | 20/1 | |
| Kevin Love (MIN) | 30/1 | |
| Carmelo Anthony (NYK) | 25/1 | |
| Tony Parker (SAN) | 25/1 | |
| Rajon Rondo (BOS) | 28/1 | |
| Dirk Nowitzki (DAL) | 30/1 | |
| Andrew Bynum (PHI) | 40/1 | |
| Chris Bosh (MIA) | 50/1 | |
| Derrick Rose (CHI) | 50/1 | |
| Danny Granger (IND) | 60/1 | |
| Kyrie Irving (CLE) | 60/1 | |
| Pau Gasol (LAL) | 60/1 | |
| Paul Pierce (BOS) | 60/1 | |
| Tim Duncan (SAN) | 60/1 | |
| Amare Stoudemire (NYK) | 75/1 | |
| Joe Johnson (BK) | 75/1 | |
| David Lee (GSW) | 100/1 | |
| Jeremy Lin (HOU) | 100/1 | |
| Josh Smith (ATL) | 100/1 | |
| LaMarcus Aldridge (POR) | 100/1 | |
| Andre Iguodala (DEN) | 150/1 | |