Yes, Derrick Rose really got a first-place vote for NBA MVP

He wasn't a starter for the New York Knicks this season.

But he was good enough in the minds of some to earn NBA MVP consideration.

When the voting tally was revealed Tuesday for the entirely expected coronation of Nikola Jokic as NBA MVP, there was one very unexpected surprise. Derrick Rose earned one of the 100 first-place votes for the award. Jokic tallied 91 in a landslide.

So ... who voted for Derrick Rose?

The voting reveal led to immediate speculation over who in the media cast their vote for Rose. And why? No media member who wants to keep his or her MVP vote would intentionally cast a vote for a backup point guard on a fourth-place team, right? Was this a high-profile troll job?

Sure, Rose had a nice season (14.7 points and 4.2 assists per game, 47% shooting, 38.8% 3-point shooting) while playing a key role in New York's return to the playoffs. But that's the stuff of Sixth Man of the Year consideration — which he was nominated for — not MVP talk.

Shortly after the reveal, the NBA provided an explanation. A media member did not cast the vote for Rose. That vote arrived courtesy of fan voting, which collectively counts for one of the 100 votes.

And that makes more sense. Kind of.

It's hard to imagine an organic tally from NBA fans resulting in a vote for Rose. This reeks of an orchestrated campaign by Rose stans and Knicks fans. For now, though, that's a mystery that remains unsolved.

In the meantime, the Knicks are going to enjoy it.

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