Fansided

James Harden finally adds MVP hardware to his trophy case

By Jeremy Lambert

HOUSTON, TX - MAY 16: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets talks with media after the game against the Golden State Warriors during Game Two of the Western Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 16, 2018 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - MAY 16: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets talks with media after the game against the Golden State Warriors during Game Two of the Western Conference Finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 16, 2018 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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James Harden’s national nightmare is over as he’s finally been named Most Valuable Player at the NBA awards.

It’s taken James Harden three tries, but he finally walked away with the Most Valuable Player award on Monday night.

Harden, dressed in his lucky trenchcoat and pants, brought his mom on stage with him. He thanked the Rockets organization and his mom for helping him get to where he’s at.

The Rockets shooting guard posted a career high 30.4 points per game to lead the league in scoring. He also chipped in with 8.8 assists per game. With Chris Paul sidelined for portions of the season, Harden became a one-man show out in Houston. He led the Rockets to the best record in the league and took the Golden State Warriors to seven games in the Western Conference Finals.

If you ask Harden and the Rockets organization, this should be his third MVP award in four years. In the 2014-15 campaign, Harden thought he won the award due to his fantastic statistical season with a less than ideal supporting cast. Steph Curry ended up winning the award due to the Warriors finishing with a better record. Last season, Harden led the Rockets to a third seed while once again stuffing the stat sheet. Unfortunately for him, Russell Westbrook’s historic triple-double season pushed him ahead of Harden as the league MVP.

This year, Harden would not be denied. He had the personal numbers to go along with the top record in the league.

The early season injury to Paul likely helped Harden’s case as he didn’t have to split time with another All-Star. Even when Paul returned, he took a backseat to Harden in Houston’s ISO heavy offense.

Next: The Whiteboard: Will Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard get bought out?

Along with leading the league in scoring, Harden was named to his sixth All-Star game and his fourth All-NBA first team. Anthony Davis and LeBron James were also nominated.

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