James Harden blames his second-place finish to Giannis Antetokounmpo in last season’s MVP race on a media-driven “narrative.”
Harden says he did his part to win the award by putting up historic numbers for a winning team.
The 29-year-old superstar and 2018 Most Valuable Player adds that he’s solely focused on being an even more potent force next season, and finally winning that elusive NBA championship.
Per 97.9 The Box (via Yahoo Sports):
I know you won’t say it, but I’m going to say it. I was pissed off when the MVP went down. I swear to god, I turned my TV off and I said ‘It’s politics, man.’ I know you probably don’t get involved, man I was hot.
Harden: “Nah, but I think the same way you think.”
This man just had a historic year.
Harden: “One for the books. Even when I’m gone, they’re going to talk about it.”
Did you get hot? Were you mad?
Harden: “I had a [season] for the books, but it’s out of my control. Once the media creates that narrative about one person for the beginning of the year, I think they just run with that narrative until the end of the year. I don’t want to get into details but all I can do is control what I can do and I did what I was supposed to do at a high level. Only a few seasons anybody ever did that. I can’t control that, all I can control is coming back next year and winning a chip.”
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