SANTA MONICA – Long before James Harden of the Houston Rockets became an All-Star six times, while he was an eighth grade student in Los Angeles, Kobe and Shaq were running the NBA for the Lakers in his home town. He wrote a letter to his mother who has now become part of his hoops legend.

"Imma to be a star", he read.

Harden is even more than that in the end.

"Sixth man of the year at the MVP," said Harden during his acceptance speech MVP. "Shout to all the young people, they have a dream, it's a vision there, go ahead, will chase that dream."

The 28-year-old was announced as such at the awards ceremony of the league Monday night, and it was about that the event takes place in a hangar at only 10 miles from Audubon College. Harden has always found a way to reach new heights, his nonstop route brings him from Artesia High School to the Arizona State to Oklahoma City and then to the Rockets in 2012. But in recent years, Harden has become rarefied air.

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Harden was not only the best player in the 2017-2018 regular season averaging 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds for a Rockets team with the best record in the league, but has been at the edge of this territory for almost four years now.

• Harden (27.4 points per game) was the top scorer in Steph Curry's 2014-2015 season (27.4 points per game), but Russell Westbrook scored seven goals and six rebounds for a Rockets team that finished the encounter with 56-26. fell to the warriors in the finals of the Western Conference.
• In 2015-16, there was a slight rise in his personal output (29 points, 7.5 assists, 6.1 rebounds by) but Houston (41-41) took a significant step backwards before falling to the Warriors at first round.
• In 2016-17, when new coach Mike D 'Antoni matched Harden so well when he was moved to the playmaker position, he racked up 29.1 points (second behind Westbrook), 11 , 2 assists (first) and 8.1 rebounds for a Rockets team. who had the league's third record (55-27) and fell in the second round to San Antonio.

This is not a cumulative price, of course, but anyone who has paid attention in recent years might say that it was only a matter of time before Harden got his hands on the Maurice Podoloff trophy.

He won by the kind of comfortable margin that was widely expected, receiving 86 of the 101 first place votes (LeBron James of Cleveland was 15) and totaling 965 points (James was 738, while Anthony Davis of New Orleans was 445).

"The last four years I have knocked on the door and knocked on the door, and now the moment has finally arrived," said Harden. "Every year, every time you try to come back and be better than the year before, and just to win this trophy, it means a lot, but that does not stop the. But it feels good to have it. "

Harden admitted during the broadcast that he had not prepared speeches. But his play, even long before this season, had spoken for himself.

"You know, I had the impression that last year I should have won too, so I did not see any difference between last year and this year. year, "he said when asked why he had no speeches. "If I won, then I would go out of the top (of his head) and try to show my appreciation to everyone by bringing respect and paying my dues."

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