You're up, James Harden.
After coming up short in voting last year for NBA Most Valuable Player honors, Harden's case for the 2017-18 award got a boost from Los Angeles Lakers icon and 2008 MVP Kobe Bryant.
"Well, I think James has done so much all season long. For the last two years, he's been playing phenomenally well. Had it not been for Westbrook's historical run last year, he certainly would have won MVP last year," said Bryant during a Tuesday morning appearance on ESPN's Get Up.
"I think what James has done from Game No. 1 all the way through Game No. 82 deserves to be rewarded. This guy's worked his butt off for the entire season and has gotten his team to the place where they are now. I just don't know what there's left for him to do."
Harden received 22 first-place votes in 2017, which was less than one-third of what Westbrook garnered (69) after the Oklahoma City Thunder star averaged a triple-double across 81 appearances.
The Rockets ended the 2017-18 regular season with the best overall record at 65-17, with Harden leading all players in scoring (30.4 points per game) while ranking third in assists (8.8).
