Harden, LeBron headline All-NBA 1st team
Houston Rockets guard James Harden and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James headline the 2017-18 All-NBA first team, the league announced Thursday.
Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant, Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, and New Orleans Pelicans center/forward Anthony Davis round out the first team.
Harden emerged as the MVP front-runner after a career-best season where he averaged 30.4 points, 8.8 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game. He also shot 44.9 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from 3-point range, and led the Rockets to an NBA-best 65-17 record.
James and Harden were the lone unanimous selections for first-team honors.
Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook, Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid, San Antonio Spurs' LaMarcus Aldridge, and Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan make up the second team. Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, Indiana Pacers' Victor Oladipo, Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns and Jimmy Butler, along with Oklahoma City's Paul George were named to the third team.
Houston's Chris Paul and Utah Jazz's Rudy Gobert narrowly missed the third team. Paul has been instrumental to the Rockets' outstanding season while Gobert is considered the leading candidate for Defensive Player of the Year honors.