Giannis repeats as MVP; Harden is third
Antetokounmpo put up historic numbers in leading Milwaukee to overall top seed
Rockets guard James Harden finished third in the MVP voting announced Friday, landing in the top three for the fifth time in six seasons. But there was no topping the historic season of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo or beating out the Lakers’ LeBron James.
Antetokounmpo received 85 of 101 first-place votes, with James getting the rest. Harden received one second-place vote, 64 third-place votes, 10 fourth-place votes and 10 fifth-place votes.
Dallas’ Luka Doncic was fourth and Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers was fifth.
Antetokounmpo joined Stephen Curry, James, Steve Nash, Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell as back-to-back MVPs.
“I would love to still be in the bubble, playing games,” Antetokounmpo said on NBA-TV after the announcement. “At the end of the day, I won this award. I feel blessed. From where I came, from where I started and where I am right now, it’s been a long journey. You can never take these moments for granted.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed for not being able to help my team go to the third round. But at the end of the day, I know I can keep getting better and help my team improve. But that feeling cannot take away from this award. I’m happy for this award, but I want more. I want to be a champion.”
Antetokounmpo is just the third player in NBA history, joining Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan, to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. With the Bucks’ ouster in the second round of the players, Olajuwon is the only player to do it in a season (1993-94) in which he won the NBA championship.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the NBA’s best record, averaging 29.5 points on 55.3 percent shooting along with 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
No one ever has combined that much scoring and rebounding with more than 5.5 assists per game. Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor are the only other players to average 29 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
Ranking fifth in scoring and second in rebounding, he did it playing just 30.4 minutes per game, only 71st in the NBA. His PER of 31.85 is the best in NBA history.
Harden, the only player to be first-team All-NBA in each of the past four seasons, averaged 34.3 points, 7.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds, leading the league in scoring for a third consecutive season.
And for a second straight season, he averaged at least 34 points, seven assists and six rebounds, something no one else has done. He joined Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson as the only players to lead the league in scoring and total steals.
James led the NBA in assists for the first time in his 17-season NBA career, averaging 10.2 per game, along with 25.3 points and 7.8 rebounds. He is one of six players in NBA history to average at least 25 points and 10 assists, joining Nate Archibald, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Russell Westbrook and Harden.