Regarded as the NBA’s best player for several years but never its most valuable, Bryant earned the honor at last on Tuesday after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference.
He called the award a blessing and an honor and emphasized that he wants another trophy this year.
The Lakers try to take a 2-0 lead against Utah in their conference semifinal on Wednesday night. Bryant will receive the MVP trophy from commissioner David Stern before the game.
Bryant entered the season as the league’s two-time defending scoring champion. He had finished as high as third in the MVP voting twice — after the 2002-03 season, when he averaged 30 points for the first time, and last year when Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki won.
Bryant received 82-first-place votes and 1,100 points in the media vote. He was followed by New Orleans’ Chris Paul (28 and 894), Boston’s Kevin Garnett (15 and 670) and Cleveland’s LeBron James (1 and 438).
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.