Harden: Not knocking Steph, but ‘I deserved the MVP' last year

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Stephen Curry won the MVP last season. James Harden finished in second.

Curry received 100 first-place votes, while Harden registered 25 (LeBron James received the other five).

Months later, Harden still feels he was robbed.

"I know I was the MVP," Harden recenlty told Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. "That's 100 percent given all the things that happened last season.

"Credit the Golden State Warriors for an unbelievable year. They had an unbelievable team, coaching staff, everything. But that award means most valuable to your team. We finished second in the West, which nobody thought we were going to do at the beginning of the year even when everybody was healthy.

"We were near the top in having the most injuries. We won our division in a division where every single team made the playoffs. There's so many factors. I led the league in total points scored, minutes played. Like I said, I'm not taking anything away from Steph, but I felt I deserved the Most Valuable Player. That stays with me."

[REWIND: Curry: Harden campaigning for MVP 'a little aggressive']

Last March/April, the Rockets, led by general manger Daryl Morey, spent a lot of time and energy trying to convince voters to vote for Harden.

The Warriors, meanwhile, took the opposite approach.

"I care," head coach Steve Kerr said. "I'd like for Steph to win the MVP and I think he deserves it. But I don't think it's our job to promote it. We're trying to win games. We've got a lot of work to do."

[REWIND: Harden doesn't acknowledge Curry, not winning MVP 'tough']

Curry's Warriors knocked off Harden's Rockets in the Western Conference Finals.

Over the five games, Curry averaged 31.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists, while shooting over 51 percent from the field and 49 percent from beyond the arc.

Harden averaged 28.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists, while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and just under 43 percent from 3-point territory.

He scored just 14 points and committed 12 turnovers in Game 5.

Harden's backcourt mate, Ty Lawson, recently accused Curry of "just chillin' on defense" throughout that series.

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