Finally, Lakers' Bryant is an MVP

They had somewhere better to go.

A few miles away, Kobe Bryant was about to be recognized by the NBA as the league's most valuable player, an award 12 years in the making that became official at a crowded hotel ballroom a short shuttle ride from LAX.

Bryant won comfortably over third-year New Orleans guard Chris Paul, collecting 1,100 points to Paul's 894 and, more telling, 82 first-place votes to only 28 for Paul from the panel of 126 media members. Boston forward Kevin Garnett finished third (670 points, 15 first-place votes) and Cleveland forward LeBron James was fourth (438 points, one first-place vote).

Bryant was ecstatic, humorous and perhaps even relieved as he accepted the award, which will be given to him again tonight, this time by NBA Commissioner David Stern before Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals at Staples Center.

Numerous teammates, coaches and Lakers staffers attended Tuesday's ceremony, as did owner Jerry Buss, General Manager Mitch Kupchak and former general manager Jerry West.

Bryant thanked his family, his teammates and then recounted an unpredictable ride that started with wanting to leave the Lakers last May and fast-forwarded to him at a lectern, fielding questions about the feeling of winning his first MVP award.

"I get goose bumps thinking about it," he said. "It's been a long ride, coming in here at 17 years old and standing here almost 30. I'm an old man. I have tendinitis. I've been through all the wars. I'm very proud to represent this organization, to represent this city."

Bryant also said he wanted to add another award in say, mid-June.

"It's Hollywood. It's a movie script," he said. "The perfect ending would be for us to be holding that championship trophy at the end of it."

The Lakers could go up 2-0 on Utah tonight, a possibility of secondary importance Tuesday. Several voices lent the opinion that Bryant was due to win the award.

"I don't know anybody who's ever deserved this trophy more," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "I've never known anybody that's worked as hard to accomplish what he's accomplished in this game."

West, who orchestrated the draft-day trade that brought Bryant from the then-Charlotte Hornets in 1996, said the award was a "richly deserved honor."