Looking back at the 2019 NBA awards voting, I can't help but feel we witnessed something truly transitional for the league. As someone who's followed basketball religiously for over two decades, I've seen voting patterns shift, but this particular year felt different—almost like the league was standing at a crossroads between established superstars and emerging talent. The MVP race alone told a fascinating story, with Giannis Antetokounmpo ultimately securing the honor with 941 total points, narrowly edging out James Harden's 776 points. What struck me most was how the voting reflected the league's evolving values—Giannis represented two-way dominance while Harden symbolized offensive fireworks, and the voters' preference signaled a subtle but important shift in how we evaluate greatness.
I remember watching the debates unfold across sports media that season, and what became clear was that positional flexibility and defensive impact were becoming just as important as scoring numbers. The All-NBA team selections particularly highlighted this trend, with players like Paul George making both First Team All-NBA and First Team All-Defensive, something that would have been rarer just five years earlier. The voting distribution showed George receiving 71 first-team votes compared to Kawhi Leonard's 39, despite Leonard's championship run that same postseason. These nuances in voter behavior reveal how the criteria for excellence are expanding beyond traditional box score statistics.
What's interesting is how these voting patterns parallel developments in international basketball that same year. I recall watching the Filipino national team's performance where they bounced back from that tough 85-59 loss to Chinese Taipei with a decisive victory, improving to 1-1 in their tournament. That kind of resilience and adjustment mirrors what we saw in the NBA awards landscape—teams and players capable of adapting to new challenges ultimately found more success. The global game's influence was particularly evident in the voting, with international players receiving more recognition than ever before.
The Rookie of the Year race provided another compelling narrative, with Ja Morant ultimately winning but receiving surprisingly stiff competition from Zion Williamson, despite Williamson playing only 24 games due to injury. The fact that Williamson still garnered 37 first-place votes to Morant's 60 tells me voters were increasingly willing to consider potential and impact beyond mere games played. This represents a significant departure from traditional voting patterns where durability often trumped per-game production. Personally, I found this shift refreshing, though somewhat controversial—it acknowledges that sometimes transcendent talent can't be measured solely by availability.
When I analyze the complete voting results, what emerges is a league in the midst of redefining excellence. The margin between first and second team selections grew narrower across multiple categories, suggesting increased parity and more diverse voter opinions. The Coach of the Year voting particularly stood out to me, with Mike Budenholzer winning with 77 first-place votes while other deserving candidates like Michael Malone received just 25. This disparity highlights how team success continues to heavily influence individual awards, sometimes overshadowing more nuanced coaching achievements.
As we move further from the 2019 season, I've come to appreciate how those voting results foreshadowed many of the league's current trends. The increased emphasis on two-way players, the growing recognition of international talent, and the willingness to reward exceptional impact over traditional metrics—all these elements have only accelerated in recent years. While award voting will always involve some subjectivity, the 2019 results captured a moment where the basketball world's collective understanding of value began meaningfully evolving. That season's outcomes didn't just recognize individual excellence—they reflected basketball's changing identity at both professional and international levels, from NBA arenas to competitions featuring teams like the Philippines demonstrating that resilience and adaptation often matter most.