It’s hard to see anyone but LeBron James becoming the MVP of the 2012-2013 NBA season, despite the trio of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony scoring more points than him. But even if all three of them are more valuable to their respective teams than James is, which is doubtful, none of them is better than him.

Because even though some like to take an original twist through the literal meaning of the acronym M.V.P, what is should mean is who was the best player over the last 82 games. There shouldn’t be any talk about success, although it’s hard to find an MVP-worthy player on a team that doesn’t make the playoffs, and there shouldn’t be any discussion about whether or not he’s more important to his team than someone else.

And even though numbers shouldn’t be the only way to judge these players, LeBron James’ numbers rule the table. Yes, Kobe Bryant is doing amazing things at the age of 37 and Carmelo Anthony won the scoring title. Kevin Durant has improved his all-around game. But he’s not LeBron James. He’s not as efficient and he’s not as dominant (Players Impact Estimate) as James was for the Miami Heat this season. None of them where.

Infographic by clo3o5