James Harden has been on the headlines lately mostly because of his ridiculously but profitable deal with Adidas that is testament to the new heights he is in ever since bolting the Oklahoma City Thunder and joining the Houston Rockets back in 2012.
Harden has long played behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook but eventually showed his true worth with the Rockets. And for that, the Rockets have shown what the team is capable off, something made sweeter with the coming of Dwight Howard.
The tandem alone is a scary thought to consider. But considering Howard has been in and out of the injured list, Harden has done MORE than enough it seems.
No doubt, he has stepped on most occasions when Kevin McHale ends up losing manpower due to injury. In a way, it recalls how Lebron James tried to carry the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors all by himself.
So with the superhuman efforts of Harden, would these be enough to justify his claim that he is the best player in the NBA today? Better yet, did he really deserve to be named NBA Most Valuable Player last year over eventual winner Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
"I know I was the MVP," the Houston Rockets star told NBA.com. "That's 100% given all the things that happened last season."
There is no doubting that Harden tried his might to lead the Rockets. But he may want to consider that unless you Herculean efforts churn something positive for your team, such an award is useless.
Harden details the thing he did last season, seemingly forgetting that an NBA title weighs a whole lot more than an individual award like the MVP plum. His fire inside on wanting to do more is indeed something commendable but as far as the MVP award, well, great players usually see that as secondary, not to mention something that comes your way if your team is indeed performing pretty well.
The bearded one claims that the award means most valuable to his team. Valuable in what sense? An MVP award is nothing compared to what an NBA title brings so Harden may have been overcooking it a bit.
Regardless on whether he should have been the best or not, he has the chance to do it all again this year. The Rockets find themselves in a stiff predicament with a highly charged Western Conference.
Though the Rockets are among the favourites, Harden may want to focus on helping his team survive the conference and get the team in sync. An MVP award comes second and normally that is the reward for your team’s positive performance.
On whether he is the best is up for debate though with other NBA stars like Lebron James and Kobe Bryant in mind. These guys have been NBA champions and MVPs. But unlike Harden, both savoured an NBA title more than just an individual award.