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Nash receives 65 first-place votesAssociated Press
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PHOENIX -- Steve Nash edged Shaquille O'Neal by 34 points to win the NBA's most valuable player award, the fourth-closest margin since the media began determining the winner in 1980-81.
2005 MVP Voting
Player Total
Steve Nash (65) 1,066
Shaquille O'Neal (58) 1,032
Dirk Nowitzki 349
Tim Duncan (1) 328
Allen Iverson (2) 240
LeBron James 93
Tracy McGrady 44
Dwyane Wade 43
Amare Stoudemire (1) 41
Ray Allen 41
First-place votes in parentheses.
The decision was first reported Friday, but the official announcement Sunday detailed the balloting by a panel of 127 sports writers and broadcasters in the United States and Canada.
Nash, who led Phoenix to an NBA-best 62 victories in his first season with the Suns, received 1,066 points. O'Neal, who left the Los Angeles Lakers for Miami and helped the Heat to the best record in the Eastern Conference, received 1,032.
Players received 10 points for a first-place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth and one for fifth.
Nash received 65 first-place votes to O'Neal's 58. The NBA assist leader at 11.5 a game, Nash is the sixth guard to win the award, joining Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson.
Nash's close friend Dirk Nowitski of Dallas was a distant third in the balloting with 349 points, followed by Tim Duncan (328) of San Antonio and Allen Iverson (240) of Philadelphia.
Nash is the first player to lead the league in assists and be named MVP since Johnson in 1987.
O'Neal said he didn't consider losing the MVP race to be a snub. Others strongly disagreed; Heat coach Stan Van Gundy called the result "beyond ludicrous."
"If you went and asked any general manager in the league for the past dozen years who's the one player they'd want to have, they'd say Shaquille O'Neal," Van Gundy said. "And he's been selected by you brilliant people in the media, selected as the most valuable player in the league one time. Once? Only once?"
The Wizards, who were 0-4 against Miami during the regular season, seemed less than excited about the prospects of facing an angry and motivated Shaq -- who says his sore right thigh is much better and that he doesn't expect to be physically hampered in this series.
"He didn't win MVP? Uh-oh," Washington guard Gilbert Arenas said. "Oh, wow. No comment."
O'Neal feigned disappointed tears when asked about the MVP topic Saturday, and congratulated Nash -- the first Canadian to win the award -- on his season.
"He's a great guy," O'Neal said. "It's been a good year for Steve. He had twins, just got married, is playing great basketball. Congratulations, Steve. Congratulations to the Canadian people. It's a great honor. ... But we're focusing on the big prize at the end. I think that's going to be more important."
