James Harden Still Upset over Losing MVP Title to Stephen Curry

By Cheri Cheng - 07 Oct '15 11:35AM

James Harden might have lost the 2015 NBA MVP Title to Stephen Curry five months ago but he is still upset about coming in second.

Harden of the Houston Rockets recently spoke with Fran Blinebury of NBA.com about how he knows that he is "the best player in the league," a statement that he has repeatedly made in the past.

"I know I was the MVP," Harden said. "That's 100 percent given all the things that happened last season."

Harden explained why he was the most deserving of the title after acknowledging Curry's skillset as well. Harden added that he is not trying to disrespect a fellow player.

"Credit the Golden State Warriors for an unbelievable year. They had an unbelievable team, coaching staff, everything. But that award means most valuable to your team. We finished second in the West, which nobody thought we were going to do at the beginning of the year even when everybody was healthy," Harden said. "We were near the top in having the most injuries. We won our division in a division where every single team made the playoffs. 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. That stays with me."

Despite Harden's numbers and his ability to lead the team when they needed him most, the Rockets still had a disappointing run in the postseason. Curry and the Golden State Warriors, on the other hand, won the whole thing.

Harden, however, is prepared to get even better and show everyone what he can do, especially if the Rockets are healthy.

"So I'm excited now to hopefully have a full roster healthy for an entire season and see where that takes us. I'll put my team up against any other team in the league. Nobody is better and we're ready."