Harden beats out LeBron, Davis to win 1st NBA MVP award

Mission accomplished.

After finishing as a finalist in two of the past three years, James Harden of the Houston Rockets finally took home his first NBA Most Valuable Player award on Monday night.

Harden beat out four-time MVP LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Harden led the league with 30.4 points per game in the regular season, with 8.8 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game in 72 appearances. His efforts helped guide the Rockets to a franchise-record 65-win season and pushed the team to Game 7 of the Western Conference finals, where they were beaten down the stretch by the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.

In addition to his traditional stats, Harden led the league in many advanced metrics that signify all-around dominance. The 28-year-old boasted a 29.8 Player Efficiency Rating, had 15.4 Win Shares, and a Box Plus/Minus of 10.9.

In winning his first MVP Award, Harden becomes the third player in the past five seasons from the early-2010s Oklahoma City Thunder to win the league's top honor, joining former teammates Russell Westbrook (2016-17) and Kevin Durant (2013-14). Harden was traded from the Thunder to the Rockets in October 2012.