James Harden is a one-time NBA Most Valuable Player award winner. Still, several people around the league believe he's deserving of at least one more trophy.
Last season, The Beard took over in Brooklyn, leading the Nets to compete in the Eastern Conference until an injury hurt his chances of competing against Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Stephen Curry for the coveted award.
James will try to return to his best form this upcoming campaign and have a shot at the MVP award again. According to his trainer, Justin Allen, The Beard should have a couple of more MVPs than he currently has.
“I think he’s been robbed in about three of them,” Allen told PlayNY (via NY Daily News). ”I think he should be a three- or four-time MVP for sure.”
Moreover, he claimed that James will be in the MVP conversation as long as he keeps playing. We've seen this type of longevity in LeBron James, but Harden has been a tough match for injuries, just like The King.
“You’ve got some great players out there. And you can’t take anything away from the guys who won it. But I definitely think James Harden will be in the conversation until it’s time for him to hang up his shoes.”
“For me, he’s always been the same player,” the trainer said, talking about Harden's second place in 2018. “A lot of people who have something to say, half of them didn’t play the game to understand the game. But James is a very unselfish individual, both on and off the court.”
Harden's battles with Russell Westbrook in 2017, Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2019 and 2020 are well documented. He knows it's time to take over and confirm he's the best player in the league.
The 2021/22 NBA season will bring several challenges for the Nets. They have to show a better face than they did last season, and Harden will try to help them reach the promised land.
The guard recently claimed the team is unbeatable if he, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving are healthy. Time will tell if he was right or let his mouth go way before time.
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