Throughout his career in the NBA, James Harden has come frustratingly close to being named the league MVP, only to finish in second place. Harden has finished as the runner-up twice in the last three years, which is both a testament to his abilities and an indication that he’s never quite been able to snatch the award from its ultimate winners.
In 2017-18, though, Harden brought his game to another level, leading the Houston Rockets to the best record in the NBA. In return, The Beard was finally able to ascend to the top of the mountain and earn the league’s Most Valuable Player award for the first time in his career.
.@JHarden13 is your 2017-2018 #KiaMVP! 🏆#NBAAwards pic.twitter.com/kDdpIaVM7J
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) June 26, 2018
Harden led the NBA in scoring this season, averaging a career-high 30.4 points per game for the 65-17 Rockets. Harden also sat atop the league in player efficiency rating and win shares, and was third in the NBA with 8.8 assists a night.
It was an interesting MVP award race, as Harden has been the presumed winner for much of the season over players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis. There are plenty of reasons why — most notably the fact that he was really good this year, but also because of the belief that it was “Harden’s time” to take home the award. But no matter what, after coming close but never quite getting there, Harden is finally the NBA MVP.
