In an interview with NBA.com, Houston Rockets facial hair James Harden stated that he believes that he is the best player in the NBA right now.
The Rockets star came in second in MVP voting behind Stephen Curry last season and it appears that the decision still irks Harden to some extent.
“I am the best player in the league. I believe that,” he said. “I thought I was last year, too.”
Harden is undoubtedly one of the best players in the league (as long as one ignores his inconsistent defense). Before anyone jumps on him for daring to promote himself as the NBA’s most skilled player, it should be noted that Harden is hardly the only player to say that he’s the best basketball player in the NBA right now.
The competition for self-proclaimed Best Player in Basketball is pretty fierce.
There’s Kevin Durant, who had this to say in September:
We’re under the radar, exactly where we want to be, and looking forward to having a good season. And yes, I’m still the best player in the world.
There’s LeBron James, who stated this in June:
“I feel confident because I’m the best player in the world.”
Paul George has also laid claim to the title of best NBA player.
“Myself,” he said when asked which player enters this season as the best of them all. “I honestly feel that this is my time to prove it.”
Even Anthony Davis, as young and promising as he is, has said that he thinks he’ll be the best in the NBA soon enough (though he did state that he has a ways to go before he catches LeBron or KD).
Those two guys are definitely unbelievable players, but I know one day I’m going to be there. I’m going to be the best player in the league.
Harden’s claim to the title of self-proclaimed NBA’s best player may be tightly contested (the league has a wealth of talent right now) but it’s not crazy to suggest that he should be in the conversation. Last season, Harden averaged 27.4 points, 7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game and he led the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals.
