As one of the top 75 players in NBA history, James Harden's resume and career thus far resonates with some of the greatest ever to lace up their shoes. He has done incredible things for the game since being drafted and will always be remembered for his scoring, playmaking, and influence on the next generation.
Harden has just about every accolade in his collection except a ring. He has previously won MVP and Sixth Man of the Year, obtaining 11 All-Star selections, seven All-NBA honors, and three scoring titles.
However, Harden's documented resume does not include how his team performs when he is the main character. He has been the most valuable player on his team through several winning seasons and has had no trouble replicating history in year two with the LA Clippers.
When the critics sprinted to the media to jump to conclusions on how subpar the Clippers would be without Paul George, Harden stayed silent and proceeded to have a regular season the fans will forever cherish.
Nonetheless, the Clippers would not have been successful this season without Harden. Yet, he has not been seen in the spotlight for stepping up as a hero in Intuit Dome.
Fans must make the most of this season by crediting James Harden
This season has been one of James Harden's best in the league, and it dwindles to how elite he has been through his availability. The superstar guard only missed three games this season, playing 79, which is his most since 2016-17, when he was in his prime at 27.
In addition to showing up for basically the entire season, Harden averaged 22.8 points, 8.7 assists, and 5.8 rebounds while improving his efficiency to 41.0% from the field and 35.2% from three. For better understanding, he was shooting under a field goal percentage of 40% for an endless amount of time.
Beyond what he recorded, Harden uplifted the careers of Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell, two Most Improved Player of the Year candidates, while giving the LA Clippers enough oxygen to survive without Kawhi Leonard.
If that was not good enough, Harden was three rebounds away from a 39-point triple-double against the Golden State Warriors, where if LA fell short, they would have a harsh play-in schedule to go through, with slight rest, as the seventh seed.
Doing all of this in one season is unheard of, and the NBA voters must reward Harden's year-16 storyline with a selection on one of the All-NBA teams.