Long regarded as the National Basketball Association's best player but never its most valuable, he earned the honour on Tuesday. This, after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference.

'It's Hollywood, it's a movie script. The perfect ending would be for us to hold a championship trophy at the end of it,' said Bryant, who entered the season as the league's two-time scoring champion.

'This is an award I couldn't have won on my own. I can't thank these guys (his teammates) enough.'

He has a good reason to do so: The knock on the 29-year-old had been that he did not make those around him better - but not anymore.

Teammate Derek Fisher noted: 'Not only did he statistically have an MVP type of season, everybody can reasonably say they were better this year because of what he did. He met the so-called criteria - elevating his teammates' games.'

Bryant averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.84 steals while playing all 82 games despite tearing a ligament in his right pinkie finger in February.

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.

Said Lakers coach Phil Jackson: 'I don't know anybody who's ever deserved this trophy more. I don't know anybody who's ever worked as hard to accomplish what he's accomplished.'

Bryant received 82 first-place votes and 1,105 points in the media vote. He was followed by New Orleans' Chris Paul (28 and 889), Boston's Kevin Garnett (15 and 670) and Cleveland's LeBronJames (1 and 438).

'I said since two, three years ago that Kobe Bryant is the best player in the league,' James said. 'He's been the best player the last five, six years. I'm glad he won it.'

ASSOCIATED PRESS