James Harden beats LeBron James as MVP
James Harden, the one who took the Houston Rockets to the top of the NBA Western Conference, he had been left with the thorn to dispute the finals, after losing to the Golden State Warriors. However, the stellar escort had its reward: he was elected Most Valuable Playerof the 2017-18 season. The points of Harden prevailed before the leadership of LeBron James in the Cleveland Cavaliers finalist. Harden, 28, won his first MVP award by beating LeBron James, star of the Cleveland Cavaliers, runner-up of the current season, who was looking for his fifth individual award.He could not make it to the NBA Finals, because his team fell to the later champions, Golden State Warriors, but since this award refers only to the regular season, their numbers surpassed those of LeBron and those of Anthony Davis.
Houston Rockets star guard James Harden got his first NBA MVP award in reward for an excellent regular season, which allowed him to overtake Cleveland Cavaliers figure LeBron James. Harden, 28, was presented at the second edition of the NBA Awards ceremony, held at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica (California), with dark glasses and a suit of flowers and black figures with a white background that did not leave anyone indifferent. Harden could not make it to the NBA Finals, because his team fell to subsequent champions, the Golden State Warriors, but as this award refers only to the regular season, their numbers surpassed those of James (Cavs) and those of Anthony Davis, power forward of the New Orleans Pelicans. Harden took his mother to the stage before receiving the trophy from commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver. "I will not get emotional," he said behind dark glasses. "She is my pillar in good times and bad," he added. "Thanks to everyone who helped me get this award, especially to all teammates and an organization that always helped me, as my family did, especially my mother," said Harden, after receiving the award.
The Rockets guard and baseman finished the regular season 2017-18 as the scoring champion, averaging 30.4 points, while leading his team to a franchise record of 65 wins. Even though Houston finished the regular season at the top of the Western Conference, it was defeated in seven games by 4-3 in the playoffs against Golden State Warriors, who then swept the LeBron Cavaliers 4-0. Harden joined Michael Jordan as the only players to average at least 20 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 1.7 steals in a season. In addition, with his left hand, he led the league in points, triples and games with 50 points, while helping the Rockets reach 65 wins, the most in the NBA season.The election of Harden as the winner of this award makes him the third player who was part of the Oklahoma City Thunder that gets it, after his former teammates Kevin Durant (today in the Warriors) and Russell Westbrook, the only one who remains in the equipment. Harden was the fourth player in NBA history who averaged at least 30 points per game and helped his team to 65 wins, joining Stephen Curry (Warriors), Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls, twice) and Kareem Abdul- Jabbar (Los Angeles Lakers).
The award also had a special meaning for Harden, given that he received it a few kilometers from his hometown, Los Angeles. Harden overtook James, 33, who was denied his fifth MVP trophy in spite of averaging 27.5 points and his personal record of 9.1 assists and 8.6 rebounds while playing in the 82 games of the regular season for the first time in his career.The third who fought for the prize, in his case for the first time, was Davis, who was left without the help of starting center DeMarcus Cousins - he suffered a serious injury to the Achilles tendon - offered his best performance and set averages of 30 , 2 points, 11,9 rebounds, 3,2 blocks and 2,0 ball recoveries since January 28. Other award winners were the Australian Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia Sixers, who won Rookie of the Year, while Dwane Casey, now a Detroit Pistons coach, took the Coach of the Year for his work at the Toronto Raptors. , and the French pivot Rudy Gobert achieved the Defensive Player of the Year. Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams was the Sixth Player of the Year award winner, and another guard, Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers, received the Player's Most Progress during the regular season compared to the previous one. The legendary Oscar Robertson and Dikembe Mutombo, members of the Hall of Fame, received the awards for an entire career and the Sager Strong Award, in honor of television reporter Craig Sager, who died after an exemplary fight against cancer, respectively.