Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the second year in a row on Sunday, edging out the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James.



(Writing by Gene Cherry)



The 6-foot 3-inch point guard was presented with the award for the 2005-06 season at the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, where the Suns crushed the Los Angeles Lakers 121-90 the previous day to clinch their first round playoff series 4-3.



Nash joins Hall of Famer Magic Johnson as the only point guards in league history to win multiple MVP trophies, becoming one of only nine players to earn the honor in consecutive seasons.



Canadian Nash received 57 first place votes and 924 points in balloting carried out by sportswriters in the United States and Canada while James totaled 16 first place and 688 points.



Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks finished third with 544 points.



The Lakers's Kobe Bryant finished fourth with 483 points and Detroit's Chauncey Billups was fifth at 430.



"It's a little bit uncomfortable to be singled out among all the great players two years in a row," Nash told a news conference in Phoenix on Sunday.



"I couldn't believe it last year, and to do it again is even more difficult to understand."



Nash averaged career highs in points (18.8), rebounds (4.2), minutes played (35.5), field goal percentage (.512) and free throw percentage (.921). He also handed out a league-high 10.5 assists per game.



He joined Reggie Miller (1993-94), Mark Price (1988-89) and Larry Bird (1986-87, 1987-88) as the only players in league history to shoot at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range (.439) and 90 percent from the free throw line and meet all the statistical minimums.



With the Suns averaging a league-high 108.4 points a game, Nash is the first player to be part of the league's highest scoring squad for five consecutive years since Alex English and Dan Issel led the Nuggets from 1980 through 1985.
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