And the winner is …

LOS ANGELES ‘ When fans at EnergySolutions Arena chant ‘MVP” for Jazz point guard Deron Williams, they know he’s not.
Not this year.
Not unless they perhaps mean ‘of the team.”
Still, Williams appreciates it, even if it may embarrass him a bit.
When fans at Staples Center chanted ‘MVP” for Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant during Sunday’s Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series with the Jazz, they knew he was.
This year.
Of the NBA.
He appreciated it, and was not at all embarrassed. Because Bryant knew it to be true. The Los Angeles Times suggested as such over the weekend, and its report was right.
Today, at a Los Angeles-area airport hotel, it will be officially announced by the NBA that Bryant, for the first time, has won its MVP award.
No wonder he felt so different hearing the letters over and over on Sunday, as compared to earlier in the year.
‘Yeah,” Bryant said, ‘it held more weight to it. Before, it was like, ‘Thanks, but I’m not going to win it anyway.’ ”
Rather, Bryant figured he’d getting snubbed again, just like in the past. Perhaps the award this time would go to Chris Paul, or Kevin Garnett. Anyone but Kobe.
But now, it’s different.
Now, Bryant can sit for a press conference with his 2-year-old daughter on his lap ‘ like he did on Sunday ‘ and even joke about being MVP.
Asked if Gianna can say the letters, Bryant shrugged and smiled.
‘I don’t know,” he said. ‘But I know she can say ‘Dee-fense.’ ”