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James Harden gets Charles Barkley’s vote for MVP

James Harden and the Rockets have forced Mark Cuban to shut the hell up. (Derral Chen / Flickr)
Expert
4th April, 2015
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There’s an old adage that says if you are going to speak the truth, always keep one foot in the stirrup. That’s sound advice for everyone except NBA legend Charles Barkley. Sir Charles must have a string of fast ponies because he can’t help but speak the truth.

TNT analyst Charles Barkley is the NBA’s most outspoken, loquacious, humorous and more importantly honest commentator on the American sports scene. He is the guy at the family dinner table that makes everyone nervous because he always, and we mean always, says what’s on his mind.

As your passing the potatoes, he’s the guy that candidly remarks that your sister Debbie will never get a man unless she drops 30 pounds. Or that Uncle Bruce drinks too much, or Aunt Ida doesn’t smell too good but she sure can cook.

Candor is just part of Barkley’s game. So it comes as no surprise that two nights after James Harden scored 41 points, Barkley was candid in his opinion on The Dan Patrick Show just on who should really win the NBA Most Valuable Player award this season. Without a doubt, the Houston Rockets’ James Harden.

“No disrespect to Steph Curry but James Harden should be the MVP,” Barkley said prior to the NCAA Tournament.

“I’ve said that two months ago and three months ago. If he can keep them (Houston Rockets) in the top two or three seeds in the Western Conference, which is by the way the best conference obviously. If he can keep them on their home court in the first round, no disrespect to Steph, I would have to vote, I don’t have a vote but my personal opinion is I would vote for James Harden. With Dwight Howard missing over 40 games, I would vote for James Harden.”

Barkley is not only a student of the game but comes with impeccable, if not candid credentials. In his 16-year career, Barkley was selected to the All-NBA First Team five times, the All-NBA Second Team five times, and he was chosen for the NBA All-Star Game eleven times. Along the way, in 1993 he was voted as league’s Most Valuable Player and he was honored as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. That’s some serious hoops and an exceptionally impressive resume.

“We always reward winning but what the Rockets are doing is pretty incredible,” Barkley went on to say.

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“James Harden is doing this by himself basically. If you asked me the question who is the second best player on the Rockets right now? I have no idea! When I am sitting there watching these games I am asking myself how are the Rockets still winning? James is the only reason they are still winning.”

Barkley, who won two Olympic gold medals at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Games playing for the United States Dream Team, had praise for other players but is still convinced Harden is the MVP.

“This is no stab at Steph (Curry), Steph is right there. If I am voting it has to be Steph, or Russell (Westbrook) and maybe Lebron (James) maybe fourth,” Barkley passionately explained.

“That’s it. If you vote for anybody else they need to take your ballot.”

In providing his wisdom Barkley explained NBA politics and went ‘old school’.

“Did Magic Johnson win it every year? Did Larry Bird win it every year? It goes to the best player, who is having a really good season… (with) his team,” Barkley said.

“It never went to just the best player. Steve Nash wasn’t the best player. If you go back and look at Magic (Johnson) and (Larry) Bird, they didn’t win it every year.”

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Barkley went on to convey the message it isn’t always the best player who wins the award.

“Whoever had the best regular season on the best team they were winning. Shaq (O’Neill) has this silly argument that the two years Steve Nash won it, they had the best regular season record. It has never been to the best player,” Barkley said.

“Every year the Bulls had the best record, Michael (Jordan) won it. The years the Utah Jazz had the best record, Karl Malone won it. The year I won it we (Phoenix Suns) had the best record in the NBA. That’s the way it has always been.”

Barkley went on to say he has no problem if the Golden State’s star guard Steph Curry wins the league’s top award. It is just that he is convinced, and passionate, that the bearded one, James Harden, is without a doubt the MVP of the NBA.

With that, Charles Barley took his time, swung into the saddle and headed off into the sunset. If you could hear Barkley’s voice above the horse hooves, he still thinks your sister Debbie needs to ease off the potatoes.

Charles Barkley’s All-Time NBA Team

Top Five
Michael Jordan
Oscar Robertson
Wilt Chamberlain
Bill Russell
Kareem Abdul Jabbar

Kobe Bryant
Lebron James
Tim Duncan
Jerry West
Elgin Baylor… and you can flip flop Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in there…

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