For six seasons in a row now, James Harden has been a candidate for the NBA MVP Award. Although he has never won this award, the last three out of the six seasons he was considered, he was robbed from the MVP title by someone who the NBA thought was more deserving as the MVP. This year, however, is the year James Harden will rise up and accept this prestigious award. Don’t think he has the potential? Well, here are some reasons why he is already proving himself as the MVP so early in the season:

1. James Harden is leading the league in most points per game and assists per game. (31 PPG & 9 APG)

No disrespect to Jordan, Kobe, Bird, or Magic, but no player has ever lead the league in both assists and points. This is an extremely impressive accomplishment that shows Harden’s versatility as a player and a leader.

2. James Harden already has 220 more points than last year’s MVP, Russell Westbrook, and has taken 6 fewer shots than him.

Last year Russell Westbrook won the MVP award over James Harden, who led his team throughout the season finishing third in the western conference, above OKC, with 55 wins. Many critics that year believed that winning was not all that mattered in order to win an MVP. However, the year before that, many believed that Harden didn’t win the MVP title because he didn’t lead his teams to as many wins as Steph Curry and the Warriors. Hypocritical much? The NBA keeps making excuses for him to not win.

3. He is averaging the lowest amount of playing time in his career, while simultaneously averaging the highest points per game in his career. (35 MPG & 31 PPG)

The fact that James Harden’s PPG surpasses players who are averaging 3-4 more minutes of playing time than him is unbelievable. He is out to win this title. His combination of stats and winnings this year just might be too jaw-dropping for voters to say no.

4. James Harden is leading his team to the #1 spot in the NBA.

With Harden putting up numbers the league has never seen and leading his team to the best record in franchise history, there is no doubt they are on the road to a successful season. His individual stats and team stats illustrate him to truly be the MVP.

Although there are many other players in the NBA that have stood out this season, James Harden has really proven himself to be one of the best. His talent shows out not only through his stats but also his teammates. He makes his teammates look better on the court as he involves them in every aspect of the game.

With the help of Eric Gordon and the recent addition of Chris Paul, Harden has been able to make easy assists to his teammates and been able to play his true position as a shooting guard rather than a point guard, making a greater impact on the team’s success.