5. James Harden
It happened so inconspicuously, without all of the usual bells and whistles that normally accompany such ascension, that most of us didn’t even realize what was going on.
It’s been damn near a half-decade in the making, and only now are we starting to understand what we’ve been seeing. He’s not quite like any that have come before him, and there likely won’t be another one like him anytime soon. After all, it’s not as if there’s some kid out there practicing what it is that makes him who he is, because what he has can’t be taught or honed or even quantified.
He is, in every way possible, one of a kind.
That James Harden would eventually secure his legacy as one of the greatest players in the history of the league is a proposition that’s been given the “doubtful” tag on multiple occasions. From when he couldn’t crack the starting lineup in Oklahoma City to the YouTube lowlights of his defense to the disaster that was the 2015-16 season to the end of the Spurs series last year, Harden’s doubters have had more than enough ammunition over the years.
He has come back stronger each time, with a beard apparently made of Teflon and a game that continues to be the perfect embodiment of what good basketball looks like in modern era.
The lofty ranking should come as no surprise. He’s the best player on the team that has the best chance to beat the Warriors this year. He’s 28 and leading the league in scoring. He’s also under contract until at least 2022.
The more interesting part is his place in history.
If James Harden doesn’t win the MVP award this year, it would have to be considered a massive upset. The nightly tweets about his numbers are so ridiculous they’ve entered the Trump zone: the absurdity has become so commonplace, it’s now normal. 48 points on 22 shots? Sure. A 92.5 true shooting percentage and 160 offensive rating over 35 minutes? Why not.
If he does capture the award, how exclusive a club will he join? Harden already has two second place finishes. Here’s a list of guys one-time MVP winners without two second-place finishes on their ledger: Kobe Bryant, Charles Barkley, Hakeem Olajuwon, Allen Iverson and Dirk Nowitzki.
Shaquille O’Neal did it. So did David Robinson and Kevin Garnett. That’s the company Harden joins if he takes home the trophy this year.
That group, of course, also has rings to their names. If Harden can grab one of them as well, we may be underselling him yet.