Tag: James Harden MVP

Stephen A. Smith believes Rockets have an ‘icon’ in James Harden

“I’m not trading James Harden,” Smith said. “I’m holding onto him for dear life, because the brother is too special. Harden is an icon.”

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith said Wednesday that he views James Harden as an “icon,” adding that the 6-foot-5 guard shouldn’t be traded by the Houston Rockets under any circumstances.

On Wednesday’s First Take, Smith and Kellerman discussed the previous day’s comments by Houston owner Tilman Fertitta that the Rockets would not “blow up the roster” this offseason.

While the Rockets have an All-Star backcourt of Harden and Russell Westbrook, both are now 31 years old, and the team has exited in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs for two straight years. That age is beyond the usual NBA range in which internal growth often occurs, leading some to wonder if Houston might consider big changes.

Though Smith left the door open to potentially trading Westbrook, he firmly said that moving Harden is not an option. Among his comments:

The brother just finished averaging 34 [points per game]. He averaged 36 the year before. He’s a league MVP. He’s been a top-two candidate for MVP honors on at least three separate occasions. This brother is something. Offensively, he is a magician with that basketball. …

I’m not trading James Harden. I’m holding onto him for dear life, because the brother is too special. You’ve got to get the right coach, and it has to be a coach that could get Russell Westbrook’s personality to modify just a touch. Or, you’ve got to be willing to move [Westbrook] to get some other parts to pair with James Harden. Harden is an icon, to me.

Kellerman asked if Smith would hypothetically trade Harden for Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has won the NBA’s last two MVP awards. The 25-year-old forward is entering the last year of his current contract, which has led some to wonder whether the Bucks might consider moving him — if they’re told that he would not re-sign.

But even considering the age gap, Smith said that from a Houston perspective, he wouldn’t do it. The full segment can be watched below.

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James Harden striving to become one of NBA’s best players ever

“When it’s all said and done, I want to be one of the best basketball players to ever touch a basketball,” Harden said at Monday’s practice.

Coming off a third straight NBA scoring title and recently named an MVP finalist for a fourth straight year, Houston Rockets star James Harden knows his name is close to being up there with all-time basketball greats.

He’s only the fourth player (joining Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, and George Gervin) since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976 to win three straight scoring championships. He’s just the third player in league history to average more than 34 points per game in multiple seasons, joining a pair of legendary Hall of Famers in Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

Now 30 years old, the eight-time NBA All-Star is also just the third player in league history to lead the league in total points and steals in the same season, joining Jordan and Allen Iverson.

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Harden is still, however, searching for his first team championship. So when asked before Monday’s practice about his latest individual honors, he was careful to put them within the bigger picture. His comments:

It’s a great accomplishment. I can never take things like this for granted. I play basketball and work my butt off for individual and team accomplishments. At the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, I want to be one of the best basketball players to ever touch a basketball.

We’re definitely heading on the right steps, but I also know I have a long way to go, and a lot of work to put in. I’m humble enough and ready to put that work in. Obviously, it’s a great accomplishment, but we have bigger dreams and a bigger picture to fulfill.

Including this season, Harden has now earned All-Star honors in all eight of his seasons with the Rockets, and he’s finished in the top three of the league’s MVP voting on five separate occasions during those eight years (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020). He won the award in 2018. “The Beard” is also eight-for-eight in playoff appearances during that run, which makes for the longest active streak of any NBA team.

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Harden and the Rockets are still searching for their first championship together, and their 2020 playoff run is set to begin Tuesday with a first-round series against Oklahoma City, his original NBA team. Game 1 between the Rockets and Thunder will tip off at 5:30 p.m. Central, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

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Jayson Tatum doubles down on Harden as deserving 2019 MVP

When pressed by ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, Tatum explained why he thinks James Harden was the deserving 2019 MVP over Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In a new appearance on ESPN‘s The Jump, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum stood by his recent opinion that Houston Rockets guard James Harden deserved to win the NBA’s 2018-19 MVP award.

While acknowledging that Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (who won the media-voted award) also had a deserving case, Tatum told Rachel Nichols why he’s sticking with Harden as his choice.

You were splitting hairs last year in choosing between those two. I don’t think there’s a wrong case, but to me, it’s James Harden.

When he scored 30 for like 42 games in a row or something like that… Chris Paul was hurt a lot, and they were dealing with a lot of injuries.

It’s just, what he was doing was pretty remarkable.

Tatum’s recollection of Harden’s streak was slightly exaggerated, but not by much. Starting in December 2018, the league’s 2017-18 MVP scored 30 or more points in 32 consecutive games, which remains the second-longest streak in NBA history. That stretch helped the Rockets go 42-15 over their final 57 games of the season, which was the best of any Western Conference team over that span.

In all, Harden averaged a career-high 36.1 points last season, along with 7.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds. That 36.1 total represents the most points per game by any NBA player since Hall of Famer Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 more than 30 years ago, back in the 1986-87 season.

Meawhile, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 blocks. The “Greek Freak” led the Bucks (60-22) to the league’s best record, and he made the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Both Antetokounmpo and Harden were named to the All-NBA First Team.

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Since the calendar flipped to 2018, Harden’s Rockets have won all five head-to-head meetings against Tatum’s Celtics, including an overtime thriller on Feb. 29 in the most recent matchup. Tatum led Boston with 32 points and 13 rebounds, but a clutch steal by Harden in the final 30 seconds followed by a pair of free throws were ultimately the difference.

In a home game earlier that same month, Harden led the Rockets with 42 points in an 11-point Houston victory.

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Jayson Tatum says James Harden should have won 2019 MVP

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum says the NBA’s 2018-19 MVP award should have gone to James Harden, rather than Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In an Instagram Live session with basketball skills coach and consultant Pep Stanciel, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said Wednesday that he thinks the wrong player won the NBA’s MVP award last season.

Rather than Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tatum says the award should have gone to Houston Rockets guard James Harden.

Here’s how the exchange went between Stanciel and Tatum, who also said he believes Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James should win the 2019-20 season’s MVP award over Antetokounmpo.

Tatum: James Harden should have won MVP last year.

Stanciel: They’ve been robbing him for five straight years now!

Tatum: I’m not going to say five, but he definitely should have won back-to-back MVPs.

In the video, Tatum also picked Harden as the NBA’s best shooting guard. Since the calendar flipped to 2018, Harden’s Rockets have won all five head-to-head meetings against Tatum’s Celtics.

Harden, the league’s 2017-18 MVP, averaged a career-high 36.1 points per game last season to go with 7.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds. That total included the second-longest streak of consecutive 30-point games (32) in NBA history, which helped Houston go 42-15 over its final 57 games.

Meawhile, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 blocks. The “Greek Freak” led the Bucks (60-22) to the league’s best record, and he made the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Both Antetokounmpo and Harden were named to the All-NBA First Team.

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James Harden explains why he thinks he’s the NBA’s best player

Rockets star James Harden says the unique coverages drawn up by other teams for him are evidence of why he’s the league’s best player.

In an interview known most for his apparent verbal jab at reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Houston Rockets star James Harden is also making headlines for declaring himself as the NBA’s best player.

That’s nothing new or surprising, of course. Confidence comes with the territory of being among the league’s elite, and Harden has led the NBA in scoring for three straight seasons. Earlier this year, retired legend Dwyane Wade referred to Harden as one of the “greatest ever.”

But what’s new in Harden’s latest interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols is the explanation. Though Harden doesn’t rank at the top of most MVP lists this season by media members, he says he has respect where it matters most ⁠— in the form of game plans by opposing coaches.

Harden explains:

I feel like I’m the best player. Throughout the course of the year, I don’t see double-teams of anybody else. Maybe Dame [Lillard] when he’s going on an amazing stretch, but usually you see a double team after you have a 50-point night or a 60-point night. If I have an 18-point night, the next night I’m seeing a double team, which is pretty cool.

The NBA’s never seen it before at halfcourt, so I’m just trying to figure out ways to be great in that. But you don’t see another player that’s getting double-teamed. It’s totally different than any other player in this league, or probably that’s ever been.

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Harden also said he was very confident in his ability to lead the Rockets to the 2020 NBA championship, just as he did in November.

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One positive sign of late for Harden is that the double teams are becoming harder to execute, now that Houston’s permanent switch to a smaller lineup has provided additional floor spacing and driving lanes.

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In his last three games — all Houston victories by double digits — Harden is averaging 35.0 points per game on incredible efficiency, shooting 56.3% from the field and 50.0% on 3-pointers. He’s also tallied 6.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game during that run.

Regarding the smaller lineup, Harden said:

It gives us more spacing to get to the rim and create opportunities for our teammates.

Granted, Clint [Capela] was great for us these last few years. I’m proud of him, the way he grew as a player and as a person. Now he has another opportunity in Atlanta. But it’s more spacing, and it’s more opportunities for our guards to drive and be able to attack the rim, and then we get shooters. So, it’s pretty cool.

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Led by Harden, the Rockets (38-20) have won five consecutive games and eight of their last 10 overall. They return to action Saturday night at Boston (41-17), with tip-off from TD Garden scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central. The game will be televised nationally on ABC.

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