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SANTA MONICA, Calif. — Third time was the charm for James Harden.
The Houston Rockets star was voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player after twice being runnerup, beating out four-time winner LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Pelicans at the NBA Awards on Monday night.
Harden joined Michael Jordan as the only players to average at least 20 points, eight assists, ¿YH UHERXQGV DQG VWHDOV LQ a season.
He led the league in scoring, 3-pointers and 50-point games with four while helping the Rockets to an NBA-leading 65 wins.
“The last four years have been like knocking on the door, knocking on the door. Now the PRPHQW LV ¿QDOO\ KHUH ´ +DUGHQ said backstage. “Just every single year you try to come back and be better than you were the year before, and just to be holding that WURSK\ ¿QDOO\ LW PHDQV D ORW ´
James didn’t attend the show in Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport amid frenzied speculation about his future. He has until Friday to tell the Cavaliers if he will pick up his $35.6 million option for next season or opt for free agency.
Harden, who is from Los Angeles, led his mother on stage before he accepted the trophy from commissioner Adam Silver.
“I’m not going to get emoWLRQDO ´ KH VDLG IURP EHKLQG GDUN sunglasses. “She’s my backbone LQ JRRG WLPHV DQG EDG WLPHV ´
Harden received a total of 965 SRLQWV DQG ¿UVW SODFH YRWHV -DPHV ¿QLVKHG VHFRQG ZLWK SRLQWV DQG ¿UVW SODFH YRWHV while Davis was third with 445 SRLQWV DQG QR ¿UVW SODFH YRWHV
Harden didn’t prepare a speech.
“I felt like last year I should have won as well, so I didn’t see a difference between last year DQG WKLV \HDU ´ KH VDLG EDFNVWDJH “If I won it, then I was going to go off the top and try to show my appreciation to everybody KHOSLQJ PH DORQJ WKH ZD\ ´
Harden’s teammate, Chris Paul, popped up among reporters backstage and asked Harden how many bottles of liquor Rockets CEO Tad Brown would have to buy at the next location.
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The Rockets had another winner in Daryl Morey, who was honored as Executive of the Year.
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The West Third Street facility will be the central hub of activity over the four days of the meet, while events like the discus and shot put will take place at the Rome Throws Center on Riverside Parkway.
While the focus of the meeting was the logistics of hosting an event expected to bring in more than 5,000 people, Bridges was quick to point out that Rome is a perfect place to have it and that it could be a jump off for starting a youth track and ¿HOG FOXE LQ 5RPH
“I think there are a lot of NLGV ZKR FDQ EHQH¿W IURP this and be introduced to new activities and opportunities,” Bridges said. “It’s about doing something for
the kids in the community.”
The meet is typically held in Metro Atlanta, but when construction at the usual site forced USATF Georgia to look elsewhere, Muhammad said the road eventually led to Bridges.
“We liked the look and feel of Barron Stadium,” he said. “It’s more track friendly and spectator friendly than you ¿QG DW RWKHU VWDGLXPV $QG being right next to downtown, with the river walk and hotels, it made it appealing.”
Muhammad said there are certain challenges they are planning to work through, such as parking near the stadium, but that is something they face at every venue they hold a meet at in Georgia.
“As far as what we need it to be, and what we want to do, Barron has everything we want,” he said.
Each state’s association holds its own championships
to determine the top 12 competitors in each event and age division, who then qualify for
the region championships.
7KH WRS ¿YH DWKOHWHV LQ most events at region then
qualify for the National Junior Olympic Championships from July 23-29 at
North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina.