Chapter 175: Error 175
As the highest personal honor of the regular season, Hector naturally receives great attention. Hector has always lacked certification despite his many DPOYs, and have trouble equating him with superstars.
When people talk about the best players in the world, they talk about Jokic, Giannis, Embiid, and even players like Tatum or Davis, who don't have an MVP. But regarding Hector, most people will only say there's room for improvement.
But now, when we talk about him, they'll say, "This guy was MVP."
This is the change of authority brought by the "Michael Jordan Trophy." Hector's social class changed in a tweet. In fact, people realized that Hector had become an incredible player: 5x All-Star, 4x best rebounder of the season, 6x best stealer of the consecutive season since his sophomore season, 3 DPOY, and holds the top 10 steal performances in a game (i.e., 10x more than 12 steals).
He is the fourth player in history with an average of 6+ stocks (steals + blocks) with Olajuwon, David Robinson and Mark Eaton. Olujawon performed it 5 times.
He is also the only player with two playoff runs with more than 50 steals, in addition to being in the top 30 in career in only 560 regular season games.
The person ahead of him in the Ron Harper standings with over 1000 games played is only 11 steals behind Hector (Hector has exactly 1705 career steals).
With such career achievements, statistically, it's already a Hall-of-Famer. It is shameful and abnormal that such a player has gone unnoticed until now in the eyes of the general public. Hector is to blame, but now he is too strong to remain in the shadows as he has always been.
Patrick Ewing said: "Hector finally has the respect he deserves. I find that it has never been properly considered. For over three years, he has been one of the best players in the NBA, and you have done the ignorant to watch more bling-bling players. »
***
The Golden 1 Center is crowded with fans. It's a surprise for no one. But today, all of Sacramento is celebrating. It's not just a playoff game but also a scene for awarding the MVP and DPOY.
Since the MVP was awarded on game day, the Sacramento Kings did not hold a press conference but the awards ceremony before the game. Today is the first time Sacramento fans have seen a player from their team win the MVP. Those who got their tickets are lucky ones.
The only MVP in the Kings' history was with the Cincinnati Royals, which dates back to 1954. No one was present in the room. All the iconic Kings players came, Chris Webber, Vlade Divac, Demarcus Cousins, Mitch Richmond, and Peja Stojakovic.
His former teammates, Buddy Hield, Alex Len, Kevin Huerter, and Trey Lyles, also came. They had to go and see Hector at the top.
It must have been grandiose, but what does the main interested party think? He is too uncomfortable. Anjali and Vivek wanted to set up a podium, but he immediately refused. He did not want to make a fuss.
Hector has won DPOYs, players of the Month, but these honors differ significantly from the MVP. Those who can win the MVP award are the most dominant players of the regular season and the most representative players.
How many legends have spent their entire careers without touching this distinction that symbolizes the personal ability of a player?
Adam Silver, the league's commissioner, hand-presents the trophy. In general, a player speaks with him only once in his life: during the Draft. If you talk to him again, you're MVP or NBA champion.
Coincidence or not, the address of the Golden 1 Center is 500 Davis J Stern Walk, the name of the NBA's predecessor commissioner. He struggled for a long time to keep the Kings in Sacramento and not move them. The city of Sacramento thanked him with a street named after him.
Seeing his name engraved, Hector recalls how far he came to get here.
He saw, written on the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, "2025-2026 Season," "Hector Herrera.," "Sacramento Kings."
He lifted his trophy before Kings and Thunder fans, who cheered. The Thunder, despite being a young franchise, has no shortage of MVPs.
On the stage with his wife and children and his mother and father in the stands, Hector knows it; He got his second chance. The path was thorny, and it was not a long quiet river. After the victories and failures, the mockery, he survived.
"I am honored to receive this distinction and the weight it symbolizes. I want to thank the owner, the GM, all the organization, teammates, and the head coach. Without you, I could not be where I am today. I can't wait to go further with the franchise. »
"Al principio, sólo quería demostrar que los mexicanos podían jugar al baloncesto en la NBA. Desde que Alejandro llegó a la liga, espero que algún día alguien del país esté en el mismo escenario. Estoy seguro de que algún día, otro mexicano será MVP. Me encantaría ver eso en mi vida. Por favor, piensen en mí cuando eso suceda". This part was said in Spanish, the target audience would recognize themselves.
"And this trophy also belongs to the city that has welcomed and supported me from the beginning. In Sacramento, we breathe basketball. You know the pain well, and I will gladly share the trophy with you. »
"And finally, Dad, Mom, Belinda, Heriberto, Heriberta. Know that Hector loves you. Without you, there would be no MVP. In tears, he lifted his trophy. It is incomprehensible to improvise an MVP speech.
He kneeled at the height of his children and hugged them.
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