'I deserved the MVP' - Harden
James Harden felt he was robbed of the MVP title, which went to Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry.
Houston Rockets star James Harden believes he was robbed in the 2014-15 MVP race.
Steph Curry, the Golden State Warriors star, earned 100 of the 130 possible first-place votes for MVP before leading his team to an NBA title in June.
But Harden feels that, given the hand the Rockets were dealt last year, he and the team worked harder.
"I am the best player in the league. I believe that," Harden told NBA.com.
"I thought I was last year, too. I know I was the MVP. That’s 100 per cent given all the things that happened last season."
While their individual statistics were similar (Harden had 36.8 minutes per game and 27.4 points per game on 44 per cent shooting, while Curry had 32.7 minutes per game and 23.8 points per game 48 per cent shooting), Curry still played on a team that won 67 games and a title.
"Credit the Golden State Warriors for an unbelievable year," Harden said.
"They had an unbelievable team, coaching staff, everything. But that award means most valuable to your team.
"We finished second in the West [Western Conference], which nobody thought we were going to do at the beginning of the year even when everybody was healthy.
"We were near the top in having the most injuries. We won our division in a division where every single team made the play-offs. There’s so many factors.
"I led the league in total points scored, minutes played. Like I said, I’m not taking anything away from Steph, but I felt I deserved the Most Valuable Player."