After losing 44 points in a win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, James Harden said he doesn’t think he just belongs in the MVP conversation – he should be at the top of the list.
“Do I feel like I belong to him? I feel like an MVP,” the Brooklyn Nets star said. “I mean, it’s that simple. I don’t want to talk about myself individually. I’ll let that go.”
When asked to support his MVP case, Harden chuckled, adding, “The numbers prove it and we win. That’s all I can say. “
In the 30 games Harden has played for Brooklyn since purchasing from the Houston Rockets, he averaged 25.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 11.5 assists. The nets are 24-7 when Harden is on the floor.
Harden won the MVP in 2018. That year, he led the league in scoring 30.4 points per game. This season, Harden leads the league in assists with 11.2 per game.
“I go out every night and try to give my teammates everything I can bring to the game,” Harden said Friday.
Several players considered to be at the forefront of the MVP’s career, including LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Harden’s teammate Kevin Durant, have been sidelined with injuries in recent weeks, further expanding the field.
“It’s sad,” Harden said of the injuries that affected the league’s stars. “It’s a huge situation, because we have eight, 10, 12 of the best guys we have in this league, who are injured. So I’m sure the fans take some of their enthusiasm, but it’s part of the game.”
According to Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is the current favorite MVP at -110. Harden has the fifth lowest odds at +900.
The MVP award is voted on by members of the NBA press corps.
Harden was traded to the Nets in January. A player who was changed during the season never won an MVP in the same year.