Russell Westbrook deserved better. For 18 seasons, Westbrook never cheated the game. He played every game as if it was his last. And yet, he was heavily criticized by fans and the media.

Westbrook, 37, announced his retirement on social media in a video narrated by Oscar-winning actor Michael B. Jordan.

Westbrook may not have won an NBA championship ring, but he will be remembered as one of the most electric and inspirational players of our generation. At the end of the day, what defined his basketball career was his effort and energy. He played the game at 100 mph. Sometimes he played too fast.

His candle was always lit. He didn’t need to flip a switch because his switch was always on. He was a human power generator, pumping energy into an arena. He was highly entertaining. As a fan, that’s all we ask of our athletes. Compete at the highest level and provide moments of joy. Russ was a one-man show.

Was he flawed? Sure he was. Did he turn the ball over too many times? Sure he did. Did he take too many ill-advised shots? Sure he did.

But you cannot question his heart, his toughness, and his competitiveness.

Westbrook finished his NBA career as a two-time league scoring champion and led the league in assists three times. He was a nine-time All-Star, a two-time All-Star Game MVP, and the MVP in 2017. He retires as the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles. For someone who supposedly couldn’t shoot and was tagged as a ball hog, Westbrook scored 27,000 points and more than 10,000 assists, placing him in an extremely small historical group.

Russ was one of the most athletically gifted players to play in the NBA. He put together a historic 2016-17 season when he became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for an entire season. He set a record with 42 triple-doubles, one more than Robertson’s old mark set in 1962.

During his MVP season in 2017, Westbrook averaged 31.6 points per game, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists. He carried the undermanned Oklahoma City Thunder into the playoffs as a sixth seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, a year after Kevin Durant left OKC to join the Golden State Warriors.

Durant had a complicated relationship with Westbrook, but the two patched things up and KD posted a touching tribute on social media following Westbrook’s retirement, highlighting his former OKC teammate’s leadership style and his impact on the court.

“He led by example, and once the lights were bright, he let everything out and experienced pure freedom,” Durant said. “It was inspiring as his teammate, and everywhere I went, I saw it inspire people from all walks of life. The crazy thing is, he didn’t say much, he just showed up.”

Westbrook definitely showed up and showed out. You might knock him down a few times, but he kept coming.

In a 2015 game against the Portland Blazers, Westbrook got kneed in the head by a teammate and fractured his cheekbone. He stayed in the game with a visible dent and finished with 40 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists. Brodie had surgery and missed one game. In his next game, wearing a protective mask, he dropped 49 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and had 10 assists.

Westbrook had as many detractors as admirers. Westbrook joked that “Spalding” was his best friend. Westbrook rubbed people the wrong way with his abrasive personality. But what drove a lot of basketball pundits completely batty was Westbrook’s shot selection and recklessness.

In his short stint with the L.A. Lakers, he was reportedly called a “vampire” for sucking the life out of the team. He got blamed for everything that went wrong. Many Lakers fans pinned losses on him.

“If you don’t respect and admire Russell Westbrook, there’s something wrong with you,” Charles Barkley said. “I’ve never seen a player give maximum effort every single night.”

Here’s a question Lakers fans who dissed Russ: how can you hate on a guy who grew up idolizing the Lakers. He attended Leuzinger High School in Lawndale. He went to UCLA and made two Final Four appearances. He represented L.A. He never forgot his L.A. roots. If he was such a bad guy, then why do all his teammates love him? You’d be hard-pressed to find a Westbrook teammate who didn’t like him.

Lakers guard Austin Reaves was one of countless Westbrook teammates who had nothing but love for him. Reaves, who was then a role player with the Lakers, recalled getting COVID during a road trip and was forced to isolate in a hotel room for a few days. Reaves said it was Westbrook who checked on him and asked him if he needed anything.

That was Russ. A good guy and a great teammate.

***

Since 1956, when the first NBA regular season MVP award was handed out, six most valuable players finished their careers without winning a championship and two are still in pursuit of that elusive chip.

Twelve of the 15 players with multiple MVPs led their teams to at least one NBA championship. The only three multiple MVP winners — Karl Malone, Steve Nash — don’t have a championship. Malone reached the NBA Finals twice, but lost each time to Jordan’s Chicago Bulls. Nash never made it to the NBA Finals.

Here are the ringless NBA MVPs: Charles Barkley (1993), Malone (1997, 1999), Allen Iverson (2001), Steve Nash (2005, 2006), Derrick Rose (2011), Russell Westbrook (2017), James Harden (2018), Joel Embiid (2023).

Charles Barkley (1993 MVP)

Barkley is one of the most beloved sports figures of all-time. He had a big personality to match his big physical presence on the court. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984 and quickly became a fan favorite in Philly. After being traded to Phoenix in 1992, Barkley enjoyed his best season as he captured the 1993 MVP and led the high-powered Suns to the best record in the league and advanced to the NBA Finals. But Barkley’s Suns ended up losing to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the ’93 Finals, and Barkley never got back to The Finals. He did manage to win two Olympic gold medals, and his career was validated by being selected to the 1992 Dream Team. The Round Mound of Rebound finished with more than 23,000 points and 12,000 rebounds. He was a unique player who wasn’t defined by one position. Barkley has said many times publicly that not winning a title shouldn’t and didn’t define his basketball career. Hard to argue with Sir Charles.

Karl Malone (1997, 1999 MVP)

The Mailman finished his career as the second-leading scorer in history (36,928). He made the All-NBA first team 11 times and made the All-Defensive team three times. He was named to the NBA’s top 50 greatest players list and widely regarded as one of the best power forwards. With the help of longtime teammate and fellow Hall of Famer John Stockton, The Mailman delivered two MVPs as a member of the Utah Jazz but couldn’t deliver a title to Salt Lake City. Malone led the Jazz to appearances in the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. Both times his teams lost to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in six games. In 2003-04 Malone joined Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in L.A., hoping to make one final push for a ring. But it wasn’t meant to be, as Malone had an injury-plagued season and the Lakers went down to the Detroit Pistons in five games in The Finals.

Allen Iverson (2001 MVP)

Much like Westbrook, Iverson was a fearless competitor who played with reckless abandon. A.I. answered the call several times throughout his 13-year career, putting together an MVP season in 2001 and leading the Sixers to the NBA Finals. But Iverson ran into Goliath in the form of Shaq and the Lakers, and the Sixers were defeated in five games. That was the closest A.I. got to playing for a title. After stints in Detroit, Denver and Memphis (extremely short stint there), Iverson rejoined the Sixers but did not finish the season. He took his talents to Turkey, but that lasted about as long as A.I.’s career as a hip-hop artist. Iverson desperately wanted to finish his career in the NBA, but no team took the bait. Iverson will go down in history as a polarizing figure who gave us great highlights and one memorable soundbite. Yes, we’re talking about practice!

Steve Nash (2005, 2006 MVP)

Nash helped revolutionize the game with how he manipulated the pick-and-roll. Point guards today use the “Nash dribble” coming off picks. He reached the conference finals four times but fell short each time — three times with the Phoenix Suns and once with the Dallas Mavericks. He teamed up with Dirk Nowitzki to lead the Mavs to the 2003 Western Conference finals, losing to eventual champion San Antonio. He captured his first regular-season MVP in 2005, leading the Suns to the NBA’s best record. But the Spurs got in the way again, bouncing Nash and a loaded Suns squad that also featured Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, and Joe Johnson in five games. Nash won his second MVP award in 2006, but was eliminated by Dirk’s Mavs. MVP voters may have made a mistake by giving Nash the MVP in 2006. Nash probably didn’t deserve to win it over Kobe Bryant, who had one of the best statistical seasons and delivered the signature moment of the year when he scored 81 points against Toronto. Nash maxed out in Phoenix and was never able to recapture that magic he had with coach Mike D’Antoni.

Derrick Rose (2011 MVP)

Rose’s once promising career was derailed by injuries. D-Rose was bitten by the injury bug several times and was never the same. We’ll never know how good Rose could have been had he not gotten hurt. During his time in Chicago, Rose’s Bulls teams had a nice nucleus and were strong title contenders. One year after becoming the youngest MVP in league history, a devastating ACL injury in the 2012 playoffs dramatically cut down Rose’s game. Despite flashes of his old self, Rose never returned to his MVP form. He lost the burst that made him such a tough cover, and his jump shot never got good enough to keep defenses from sagging back. All the physical gifts that made him special were no longer there. Rose bounced around the league for the next eight years, playing in New York, Cleveland, Minnesota, Detroit, and Memphis before retiring in 2024 at age 35.

James Harden (2018 MVP)

Harden came into his own when he arrived in Houston after leaving Oklahoma City. Harden went from a 17-point scorer to a 27-point scorer. He went from Sixth Man to MVP. His 2017-18 season was almost like a video game. He led the league in scoring (30.4) and was the runaway leader in free throw attempts and free throws made. No one draws fouls (or tricks referees) better than Harden. In fact, he does it so well, and so often, league officials changed the way they call games. He gets to the line 11 times a game. For an 87% free-throw shooter, that’s 10 points in the bank. Harden is so clever and crafty that he has referees completely fooled. Harden does have other skills aside from gimmicks and tricks. He has a dependable step-back jumper to create space for his 3-ball, and he had straight-line drives going to his strong hand. Once the NBA cracked down on non-basketball moves to bait referees into calling fouls, Harden’s numbers have significantly dipped.

Joel Embiid (2023 MVP)

Embiid, who had long lobbied for the award, earned his first NBA MVP trophy in 2023, beating out Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Embiid has been through the wringer in terms of working through various injuries, and his durability has been questioned. He pieced together a healthy season for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2022-23 as he averaged 33.1 points to win his second straight scoring title, 10.2 rebounds and tied a career high with 4.2 assists per game. “It’s been a long time coming. A lot of hard work. I’ve been through a lot. I’m not just talking about basketball. I’m talking about my life. My story. Where I come from. How I got here and what it took for me to be here,” said the big man from Cameroon. He’s the second winner from Africa, joining Hakeem Olajuwon, the Nigerian who won for Houston in 1994.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. He hosts a sports podcast on YouTube @onemanfastbreak1.

One day after James Harden was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden aired out his dirty laundry and threw a few people under the bus on his way out of Philadelphia.

Harden told the media that the role he was given on the 76ers left him playing “on a leash.” He argued that he was not a system player. “I am a system,” he boasted.

Harden isn’t completely wrong about his “system” argument. Systems are built around NBA superstars. The problem with his claim is he is no longer an elite player. He’s still an above-average starter in the league, but the days when he was an All-NBA performer or MVP candidate are long gone. In terms of the superstar hierarchy in Clipper Land, Harden falls behind Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

Harden is now 34. He’s past his prime. He is playing for his fourth team in three years. He is five full years removed from his 2018 MVP season. If the season ended today, his 17 points per game would be the lowest of his career since 2012 (his last season with Oklahoma City). Seems like we have a systemic problem for The Beard.

Meanwhile, his understudy in Philly, Tyrese Maxey, has been unleashed and thriving under head coach Nick Nurse’s system. The Sixers are playing at a much faster pace, which wasn’t the case when Harden was running point because he preferred to walk the ball up the court.

L.A. started the season 3-1 and were among the league leaders in offensive and defensive efficiency. After acquiring Harden, the Clips lost their lost their rhythm for a stretch and dipped to 30th in offensive efficiency and 24th in defensive efficiency. Since Dec. 1, the Clippers have regained their footing and have become a top-five offensive team. Harden has blended well with Leonard and George in the starting lineup, and the Clippers have climbed back in the top tier in the conference.

Despite their recent success, the Clippers remain vulnerable against teams with length and size up front. During their annuals Grammys road trip, the Clips’ lone blemish in an otherwise successful 6-1 roadie was a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs are solid in the backline, anchored by 6-11 center Jarrett Allen and first-team all-defensive forward-center Evan Mobley. Allen and Mobley combined for 30 points and 26 rebounds.

In the Battle of L.A. series, the Clippers had all sorts of problems dealing with L.A. Lakers big man Anthony Davis in their three losses against their intracity rivals. Davis punished the Clippers’ small ball unit offensively and defensively, taking away driving lanes and making them one dimensional.

Harden’s ability to attack the paint is supposed to be the key to free up some of the congestion on offense. But Harden was part of the problem. He finished with 23 points in the 116-112 loss to the Lakers on Feb. 28, but 12 of them came in the second quarter. He was MIA during the fourth quarter when the Lakers mounted a furious rally that erased a 21-point deficit. When asked by reporters what went wrong, Harden said, “everything.”

“It’s on all of us,” said a frustrated Harden, who was just 2-for-9 from behind the 3-point line and committed four turnovers in the third loss to the Lakers.

“We are in this together, you know what I mean? It’s frustrating,” Harden said. “You can’t be up [21] points at home and give away a win, especially this time of the year. It’s that simple.”

The Lakers loss capped a brutal February for the Clips.

In their high-profile showdown with the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Feb. 12, the Clips were punished by the Timberwolves’ twin towers Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns in a 121-100 beatdown. A week later, the Clippers were routed by Oklahoma City 129-107 coming out of the All-Star break. It marked their second straight defeat to a team ahead of them in the standings.

Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue is well aware of the team’s shortcomings against bigger squads. His solution? Go small.

“I thought our physicality wasn’t there. They played better than we did. They outreached us, outplayed us and everything,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said.

Lue admitted that the size of the T-Wolves affected the Clippers, especially Kawhi and PG as both struggled to get to their basket and couldn’t make enough shots from the perimeter to pull Gobert and Towns out of the paint.

“When we’re not making quick decisions and playing the right way, they will make you look bad. I thought their length bothered us. They’re the No. 1 defensive team for a reason.”

When asked how to combat the size and length issue, Lue said “going small” is their best option.

Going small has been Lue’s modus operandi since he took over the job. He prefers a small ball lineup to finish games, usually playing Harden, Leonard, George with Norm Powell and Russell Westbrook or Amir Coffey. The small lineup normally works against most teams, but not against teams with quality bigs.

The best way to counter size is to push the pace and don’t allow defenses to get set. Unfortunately for the Clips, the man charged with initiating the offense prefers to walk it up.

“You can’t walk around offensively. You have to get to your next action. Things we have worked on the last two years. We just have to do a better job in doing that. If you don’t do that and you don’t do it hard, you’ll get beat every night,” Lue said earlier in the season during the Clippers’ six-game losing streak.

Lue refused to put all the blame on Harden during the team’s awkward period. But he did engage in some “dialogue” with his veteran guard about how they could make things work.

“He just needs to understand what we need from him. Him being aggressive, not looking at the bench. Just do your thing,” Lue said. “If you do it too much we’ll let you know. He’s a special player. When you come into a new situation it is tough to come in and try to take it over. With PG, Kawhi and Russ, we’ve had these conversations. We just have to make sure to make James as comfortable as possible because he is going to be huge for our team on what we’re trying to do.”

The Clippers’ season turned around in late November when Westbrook reportedly approached Lue and suggested that he’d be willing to come off the bench to allow Harden more time to gel with Kawhi and PG13 on the first unit. Since Westbrook’s selfless move, the Clippers were able to right the ship and now find themselves in the thick of the race for the best record in the West.

But just when the Clippers were finding their groove and surfacing as serious contenders, the injury bug bit them at the worst possible time. Westbrook fractured his left hand on March 1 and Kawhi left the game against the Timberwolves on March 12 with back spasms. Down two of their studs, the Clippers blew a 22-point lead against the Wolves and ended up getting demolished 118-100. Harden was MIA yet again, finishing with just 12 points on 4-of-10 shooting with four turnovers.

The Harden experiment is still a work in progress. There are days when the Clippers look like word beaters and then there are games when they look like they’re headed for an early playoff exit. The Clips will secure a playoff berth for sure, but the regular season is not where this team will be judged. The final grade will come in the postseason where Harden often failed to deliver.

Harden, who is now playing for his fourth team in three years, acknowledged his playoff shortcomings in a 2022 interview with Fox Sports, but didn’t put all the blame on himself. “I’ve had a few bad games in close-out games. Not all of them have been bad,” he said. “Quite frankly, a lot of the times our team wasn’t good enough to compete for championships, if you want to be honest. There’s only so much I can do.”

He could only do “so much” in a couple of high-profile meltdowns in the postseason.

Against the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 Western Conference finals, Harden had a hand in the Houston Rockets’ disastrous cold streak as the team missed 27 straight 3-point shots. Harden went 2-for-13 from behind the arc.

Against the Boston Celtics in 2023 the Eastern Conference semifinals, he teased the Sixers with a tantalizing 42-point performance in Game 4. A few days later, he had a 9-point stinker on 3-for-11 shooting in Game 7 in Boston.

Anything less than a trip to the conference finals would be considered a huge disappointment for L.A. Should the Clippers get bounced from the postseason in first or second round, the question will pivot to re-signing Harden. Is owner Steve Ballmer — despite having deep pockets — willing to give Harden the big payday he coveted in Philly?

It’s a million-dollar question for a billionaire owner.

James Harden and Kevin Durant are reunited in Brooklyn. (Getty Images)

James Harden finally got his wish. He got traded to his preferred destination. For weeks the Houston Rockets tried to make the Harden marriage work, but in the end they had to cut the cord.

The Rockets sent their superstar shooting guard to the Brooklyn Nets, joining his good friend and former teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, in a blockbuster deal that involved multiple teams. In return the Rockets picked up a boatload of first-round draft picks and guard Victor Oladipo. To make room for Harden, the Nets shipped Caris LeVert to Indiana, and center Jarrett Allen and forward Taurean Prince to Cleveland.

Harden brings a lot of baggage to Brooklyn. As gifted as he is on the court, he can be a major headache off it. The Beard is a three-time NBA scoring champ and arguably the game’s best one-on-one player. But he wasn’t able to carry the Rockets past the Western Conference finals and his lack of effort on the defensive end is well documented. Harden can wear you out.

He wasted little time celebrating his arrival in Brooklyn, offering a sample of what he can bring to the table by tallying 32 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in his Nets debut on Jan. 16 against the Orlando Magic. Durant “chipped” in 42 points.

“We welcome one of the best players in the game to our team,” first-year Nets coach Steve Nash said. “There’s a lot of excitement just on his resume, his talent, and his excitement to be here. The mood is great.”

Nash admitted the Nets will have to learn on the fly and adapt in order to succeed. But make no mistake about it. Harden instantly makes the Nets the most lethal offensive team in the NBA. Nash will have three dynamic scorers in his starting five, all capable of putting up 50 points on any given night. The Nets are also in unchartered territory having so much firepower at their disposal. No NBA team has had three 25-point scorers on its roster since the merger. Durant averages 29.4 points per game and Irving is at 27.1. Brooklyn now has to slide in Harden, who averages 26.4 points per game for his career.

For the past five decades, only the 2017 Golden State Warriors (Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson) and 1983 Denver Nuggets (Alex English, Kiki Vandeweghe, Dan Issel) came the closest to having three 25-point scorers. Both teams had two players over 25 PPG but the third scorer maxed out at 22 PPG.

Nash doesn’t seem too concerned on how to divide up the shots.

“Kevin is the most adaptable because of his versatility,” Nash said. “He can play anywhere on the floor, he can play with or without the ball. For Kevin, it’s the easiest transition. And he’s quite happy to move around and play different roles. And he’s been through it [with Warriors].”

Most recent championship teams with a collection of three superstars — also known as the Big 3 era — eventually morphed into the Big 2 + 1. San Antonio’s Big 3 of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili didn’t start many games together as Ginobili mostly came off the bench. Kevin Garnett often deferred to Paul Pierce and Ray Allen on the offensive end during their time in Boston. Chris Bosh took a backseat to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade while the trio were in Miami. The Big 3 formula was a resounding success in Golden State, but Durant didn’t have to pry the ball away from Curry or Thompson because both are outstanding catch-and-shoot snipers.

Time will tell if Harden, Kyrie and KD can co-exist without having to sacrifice shots. It’ll likely take a few games before we fully see what the Nets’ Big 3 can do.

“It’s an amazing move for Brooklyn. Obviously, they got better — way better,” said two-time Kia MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee.

There’s no question Brooklyn got better offensively. The question is on the defensive end. Can the Nets get stops on the defensive end? That question won’t be answered until we get deeper into the season and possibly into the early portion of the postseason.

The Nets are currently a middle-of-the-road in terms of defensive rating and near the bottom in the league in points allowed. And that was before they lost a major defensive presence in center Allen and LeVert, who averages 1.1 steals a game. The Nets are vulnerable against dribble penetration, and will have to hope veteran center DeAndre Jordan can summon his past defensive prowess. Even though Durant appears to have recaptured his offensive game after Achilles surgery, the injury has taken some of his explosion away and isn’t the same defensive player.

When Irving was with the Cavaliers, LeBron James and Co. would cover up for him and limited his exposure against quicker guards. Mike D’Antoni’s Rockets did the same for Harden, as they often stationed Harden in the back end of their defense so he doesn’t get exposed. D’Antoni now serves as Nash’s assistant in Brooklyn. The two great offensive minds are going to have to figure out a way to hide both Harden and Irving on defense.

James Harden and Russell Westbrook each won MVP, but zero NBA titles. (Getty Images)

James Harden is one of the most gifted scorers in NBA history, combining great skill with a touch of crafty. He averaged 36 points and 7.5 assists per game during the 2018-19 season. He powered the Rockets to 65 wins in 2018 and 53 wins in 2019.

Harden’s Rockets came extremely close to knocking off the Golden State Warriors in the 2018 playoffs when the Rockets took the Warriors to Game 7, but eventually lost a heartbreaker at home. The following season, the Rockets lost to the Warriors again in the postseason, this time in six games.

Russell Westbrook is one of the most athletically gifted players to play in the NBA. He is a triple-double machine. He put together a historic 2016-17 season when he became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for an entire season.

Westbrook set a new NBA record with 42 triple-doubles, one more than Robertson’s old mark set in 1962. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard averaged 31.6 points per game, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists. He carried the undermanned Thunder into the playoffs as a sixth seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, a year after All-Star forward Kevin Durant left OKC to join the Golden State Warriors.

Harden and Westbrook have one thing in common. They’re both ringless superstars. Their playoff failures put them on a list they’d rather be left off.

Harden and Westbrook are supremely talented players who are worth the price of admission. But they are also flawed. They are both iso-centric. Tough to play against, but even tougher to play with. They both take the air out of the ball and wear down when it matters most. Both have very high usage rates and unable to sustain their pace for an entire postseason. Their signature moments happen during the regular season. It is hard to find a signature playoff moment for Harden and Westbrook. You often find both of them walking off the court disappointed after enduring another painful playoff exit.

Since 1956 when the first NBA regular season MVP award was handed out, four most valuable players finished their careers without winning the ultimate prize while four are still in pursuit of that elusive chip.

Here are the seven NBA MVPs without a championship ring:

Charles Barkley failed to win a title in Philly and Phoenix. (Getty Images)

Charles Barkley (MVP in 1993)
Barkley is one of the most beloved sports figures of all-time. He had a big personality to match his big physical presence on the court. He was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 1984 and quickly became a fan favorite in Philly. After being traded to Phoenix in 1992, Barkley enjoyed his best season as he captured the 1993 MVP and led the high-powered Suns to the best record in the league and advanced to the NBA Finals. But Barkley’s Suns ended up losing to Michael Jordan’s Bulls in the ’93 Finals, and Barkley never got back to The Finals. He did manage to win two Olympic gold medals and his career was validated by being selected to the 1992 Dream Team. The Round Mound of Rebound finished with more than 23,000 points and 12,000 rebounds. He was a unique player who wasn’t defined by one position. Barkley has said many times publicly that not winning a title shouldn’t and didn’t define his basketball career. Hard to argue with Sir Charles.

Karl Malone came up short in the 1997 and 1998 NBA Finals. (Icon Sportswire)

Karl Malone (MVP in 1997 and 1999)
With the help of his good friend John Stockton, The Mailman delivered two MVPs as a member of the Utah Jazz. Unfortunately, Stockton and Malone couldn’t deliver a title to Salt Lake City. Malone led the Jazz to appearances in the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998. Both times his teams lost to Jordan’s Bulls (that was a common theme during the Jordan era) in six games. In 2003-04 Malone joined Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in L.A., hoping to make one final push for a ring. But it wasn’t meant to be as Malone had an injury-plagued season and the Lakers went down to the Detroit Pistons in five games in The Finals. Malone finished his career as the second-leading scorer in history (36,928). He made the All-NBA first team 11 times and made the All-Defensive team three times. He’s widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards and part of the NBA’s 50 greatest players.

Allen Iverson lost to the Lakers in the 2001 NBA Finals. (Getty Images)

Allen Iverson (MVP in 2001)
When we’re talking about Iverson, we’re talking about a fearless competitor who played with reckless abandon. A.I. answered the call several times throughout his 13-year career, putting together a MVP season in 2001 and leading the Sixers to the NBA Finals. But Iverson ran into Goliath in the form of Shaq and the Lakers, and the Sixers were defeated in five games. That was the closest A.I. got to playing for a title. After stints in Detroit, Denver and Memphis (extremely short stint there), Iverson rejoined the Sixers but did not finish the season. He took his talents to Turkey, but that lasted about as long as A.I.’s career as a hip-hop artist. Iverson desperately wanted to finish his career in the NBA, but no team took the bait. Iverson will go down in history as a polarizing figure who gave us great highlights and one memorable soundbite. Yes, we’re talking about practice!

Steve Nash never reached the NBA Finals. (Getty Images)

Steve Nash (MVP in 2005 and 2006)
Nash is considered one of the best point guards in basketball history, but he never reached the NBA Finals during his 18 seasons in the league. He led the Phoenix Suns three times to the conference finals and once with the Dallas Mavericks. He teamed up with Dirk Nowitzki to lead the Mavs to the 2003 Western Conference finals, losing to eventual champion San Antonio. He captured his first regular-season MVP in 2005, leading the Suns to the NBA’s best record. But the Spurs got in the way again, bouncing Nash and a loaded Suns squad that also featured Amare Stoudemire, Shawn Marion, and Joe Johnson in the conference finals in five games. Nash won his second MVP award in 2006, but was eliminated by the Mavericks led by his buddy Dirk, who removed himself from the ringless fraternity in 2011. Voters may have made a mistake by giving Nash the MVP in 2006. Nash didn’t deserve to win it over Kobe Bryant, who had one of the best statistical seasons and delivered the signature moment of the year when he scored 81 points against Toronto. Nash maxed out in Phoenix and was never able to recapture that magic he had with coach Mike D’Antoni.

Derrick Rose grimaces in pain after suffering a knee injury in the 2012 playoffs. (AP)

Derrick Rose (MVP in 2011)
It’s almost unfair to put Rose on this list because he has been bitten by the injury bug several times. But, the fact of the matter is, D-Rose has an MVP trophy sitting at his home but doesn’t own a championship ring nor has he set foot in an NBA Finals game. During his time in Chicago, Rose’s Bulls squad had a very nice nucleus and were strong contenders for the title. A devastating ACL injury in the 2012 playoffs pumped the brakes on Rose’s career. Despite flashes of his old self, Rose never returned to his MVP form. He lost the burst that made him such a tough cover, and his jump shot never got good enough to keep defenses from sagging back. Rose has since left Chicago and all the physical gifts that made him so special are no longer there. Rose bounced around the league for the next five seasons, playing in New York, Cleveland, Minnesota and Detroit.

Russell Westbrook (MVP in 2017)
Westbrook is one of the most polarizing stars in the league. He has about as many detractors as admirers, and that list includes current players. Some people were bothered by Westbrook’s “Spalding” comment, referring to the ball being his only friend when’s on the court. Westbrook also rubs a lot of folks the wrong way with his abrasive personality. But what drives a lot of basketball pundits completely batty is Westbrook’s shot selection and recklessness. He can shoot you back in the game, but he can easily shoot you out of the game. Critics point to a playoff loss to Houston in 2017 when Westbrook scored 51 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 13 assists. Despite posting a triple-double, Westbrook was blamed for the loss after making just 17 of 43 shots, including 4-for-18 in the fourth quarter. But Westbrook’s physical attributes aren’t enough. He struggles shooting 3-pointers and takes ill-timed shots late in ballgames.

James Harden (MVP in 2018)
The Beard came into his own when he left Oklahoma City for Houston. Harden went from a 17-point scorer to a 27-point scorer. He went from 6th Man contender to MVP winner. His 2017-18 season was almost like a video game. He led the league in scoring (30.4) and was the runaway leader in free throw attempts and free throws made. No one draws more fouls than Harden. In fact, he does it so well and so often league officials are changing the way they call games. He gets to the line 11 times a game. For an 87 percent free throw shooter, that’s 10 points in the bank. Harden is so clever and crafty he has referees completely fooled. But Harden’s game is more than just gimmick moves. He has a devastating step-back jumper to create space for his 3-ball and if you give him room to drive he’ll collapse a defense and can either finish at the rim or throw the lob pass. About the only thing left unchecked on Harden’s basketball resume is a championship.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Kawhi Leonard led the Raptors to an NBA title. (Getty Images)

Each year OneManFastBreak.net ranks the five best players in the NBA. Let’s call it the “OMFB Furious Five.” It’s paying homage to the five styles of Chinese martial arts: snake, crane, monkey, praying mantis, and tiger.

The ranking system is based on one man’s opinion and does not follow or conform to any other format, with more emphasis placed on how each player performed in the postseason. Stars are made during the regular season, but legends are born in the playoffs.

Last year’s OMFB Furious Five featured Russell Westbrook (5), Steph Curry (4), James Harden (3), LeBron James (2) and Kevin Durant (1).

The debate on who is the top gun was settled after the Toronto Raptors ended the Golden State Warriors dynasty.

OneManFastBreak.net rates the five best players in the Association:

5. ANTHONY DAVIS
Los Angeles Lakers, Forward-Center

The center position has evolved over the years. Anthony Davis came into the NBA in 2012, one year after MDE (most dominant ever) Shaquille O’Neal retired. Davis led the University of Kentucky to the NCAA championship and was the unanimous No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. Davis walked into the league as a skinny 19-year-old big man with guard-like skills but with a 7-6 wingspan. He was a hybrid. If Shaq was the last true back-to-the-basket dominant big man in the NBA, Davis was the future. He is the “center” most teams covet. He can post up. He can face up. He can step back and shoot 3-pointers. He can handle the ball and be able to get to his spots. But more importantly in today’s game, he can defend all positions — including perimeter players. The Brow is the total package.

Anthony Davis is regarded as one of the best defensive players in the NBA. (Getty Images)

Being able to contain guards for a 6-10, 253-pound big is a luxury most teams don’t have. The game has become so pick-and-roll heavy that big men must be able to hold their own against guards on switches. As good as Davis is offensively — he’s a career 52 percent shooter from the field and averages 24 points per game — his defense is what sets him apart from his peers. He averages 10 rebounds per game and 2.4 blocks. He is one of the league leaders in blocked shots year in and year out, and has been named to the All-Defensive team multiple times. “He does everything,” said LeBron James, Davis’ L.A. Lakers teammate. “He’s able to protect the rim, he’s able to guard in the post, he’s able to switch out to guards,” James added. “He’s able to block shots when guys are shooting floaters and runners. Get steals. I mean, he does everything defensively for us.”

4. JAMES HARDEN
Houston Rockets, Guard

Can you imagine OKC now had it kept Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant? The Harden-to-Houston deal remains one of the most absurd moves in league history. The Thunder haven’t reached the NBA Finals since the trade, while Harden has risen to MVP status. Harden reminded OKC what they’re missing when he put on a memorable performance on Feb. 20, 2013 against his former team. It was a game that convinced hoops fans that Harden, now out of the shadows of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, is one of the best players in the world. With his Rockets down by 14 with under five minutes left, Harden decided to take the game over. He single-handedly rallied the Rockets, dropping a career-high 46 points in a 122-119 victory that had the Toyota Center buzzing — and the rest of the league for that matter — buzzing. Harden made 14 of 19 shots from the field and made seven of his eight 3-point attempts. It didn’t matter who OKC put on Harden, he just kept scoring. The signature play of the evening came at the two-minute mark of the final quarter when Harden faced Ibaka on the wing, gave him one crossover dribble, four between-the-legs dribbles, then stepped backed for a long 3-pointer over the best shot-blocker in the NBA to tie the score at 111. During the 2014-15 season, Harden led the Rockets to Western Conference finals where they fell to eventual champ Golden State. Harden reached a major milestone in his basketball career when he was named the 2017-18 regular season MVP after leading the Rockets to the best record in the NBA. Harden and the Rockets lost in Game 7 to Steph, KD and the Warriors in a hard-fought seven-game series in the Western Conference finals.

3. LEBRON JAMES
Cleveland Cavaliers, Forward

“I’m LeBron James, and I ain’t got no worries!” This was LeBron’s message to his detractors after leading the Heat to another championship in 2013. Three years later, James still has no worries after pulling off the unthinkable: He led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship and ended the 52-year championship drought in the city of Cleveland. James was sensational during the 2016 NBA Finals. He averaged a Finals best 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks. He made The Block in the final minute of Game 7 at Oakland’s Oracle Arena when he chased down Andre Iguodala and prevented what could have been the dagger layup that might have ended the Cavs’ championship hopes. Instead, with one super-human rejection, he lifted the Cleveland curse and set up Kyrie Irving’s game-winning 3-pointer that will be forever be known in northeast Ohio as The Shot. LeBron’s 2016 Finals performance was a stark contrast to his infamous “shrinking” in an embarrassing 4-2 series loss to Dallas in the 2011 Finals.

LeBron James took his talents to L.A. (Getty Images)

James said the Mavs series humbled him and he learned an important lesson. It made him make some significant changes on and off the court, including adding a post-up game with the help of Hakeem Olajuwon. LeBron reduced the amount of 3-point attempts and made a concerted effort to take the ball to the basket. He put together one of the most dominant and efficient regular seasons in league history, and earned his fourth MVP award. LeBron and Co. authored a historic 27-game winning streak and finished with a league-best 66 wins. He raised his level of play during the postseason and the signature moment came in Game 7 of the 2013 Finals when he drained a mid-range jumper from the wing with 27 seconds left to put the Heat up by four. For the series he averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. James will always have his critics because of the way he left Cleveland the first time. But he returned to Ohio and delivered on his promise. He fulfilled his promise by bringing a championship to The Land, cementing his basketball legacy and silencing his critics. For someone who will go down in history as one of the greatest to ever play the game, LeBron has endured a ton of criticism. He has risen to the challenge, proving to the whole world that he is fit to be king.

2. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
Milwaukee Bucks, Forward

Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the Eastern Conference finals in 2018-19. (Getty Images)

Giannis Antetokounmpo is well aware he’s far from being a finished product. Sounds ridiculous to even suggest that the NBA MVP, who averaged 27.7 points per game, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, shot 58 percent from the field and led his team to the best record in the Eastern Conference during the 2018-19 season, still has plenty of room for improvement. But that is the case with the 24-year-old Greek Freak, who is only scratching the surface of his prodigious talent. “I always think that I can improve,” Giannis told NBA TV. “That’s the one thing I have been doing, and I’m gonna keep doing it. There are going to be times that I’m not going to improve anymore. But as long as I keep working hard, keep believing in myself, I think I will keep getting better. I can tell you right off the top of my head five things I could do better,” he added. “I could shoot more threes, catch and shoot threes so I can help my teammates space the floor better. I could be able to playmake more. I could improve my handles. Make my handles more tight. There’s a lot of things I can improve.” To hear an MVP talk about all the things he needs to improve on is very refreshing. Giannis strikes a good balance of high level of confidence and humility. He has great confidence in his ability, but he’s also well aware of his weaknesses. With Giannis leading the way, Milwaukee is a championship contender in the East. “We try to get better each day. We try to compete at practice and create a habit that can carry over to the game,” Giannis said. “We know teams are going to come and try to win games against us. But we gotta be ready. We gotta do what we did last year. Defend together. Move the ball offensively. If we keep doing that we’re gonna be fine.”

And now, the No. 1 player in the world. Drum roll please . . .

1. KAWHI LEONARD
Los Angeles Clippers, Forward

Kawhi Leonard defeated Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in the 2019 NBA Finals. (AP)

Back in July 2015, Kawhi Leonard signed a multi-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs with the intention that he’ll be the face of the franchise for years to come. Leonard was coming winning his first NBA championship with the Spurs and was named Finals MVP in 2014. Fast forward to July 18, 2018. That was the day when the Spurs and Kawhi parted ways after an ugly divorce where both sides dug in their heels and stood their ground. The Spurs traded their cornerstone to the Toronto Raptors, along with Danny Green, for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poltl and a 2019 first-round pick. The Spurs felt their relationship with Kawhi couldn’t be repaired. The core issue centered around Kawhi’s thigh injury. The Spurs doctors gave a different diagnosis than Kawhi’s doctors. Leonard played just nine games in the 2017-18 season and wanted out. Leonard’s reputation and status as one of the game’s greats took a severe hit. He needed to repair his rep and image while he was in Toronto. And did exactly that. Kawhi best on himself and put together a historic season with the Raptors. He clawed his way back to the mountain with a playoff performance worthy of legendary status. He averaged 30.5 points per game in the playoffs playing nearly 45 minutes. He delivered one of the greatest moments in NBA playoff history when he knocked off the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals with a dramatic game-winning, buzzer-beating 3-pointer that bounced off the rim four times before falling in the basket.

It was one of the craziest finishes you’ll ever witness. “Game. Series. Toronto has won,” play-by-play commentator Kevin Harlan said. But Kawhi wasn’t done. In the next round, he went head-to-head with 2019 NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. After dropping the first two games, Kawhi locked in and shut down Giannis and the Bucks the rest of the series to push the Raptors to their first NBA Finals appearance. Waiting for the Raptors in The Finals was defending two-time champion Golden State. It was supposed to be a massive mismatch. The Warriors had four future Hall of Famers in Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green while the Raptors limped into the series with a battered and bruised Leonard. In the end, it was the Warriors who were left battered and bruised and limped off the court with  a depleted roster after Durant went down with an Achilles tear and Klay injured his ACL. The Raptors celebrated Canada’s first pro basketball championship and Kawhi was named Finals MVP. Kawhi is the king of the basketball realm.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

(Photos by Getty Images)

Kawhi Leonard and Paul George team up in L.A. (Getty Images)

You know you’re big time when you can top an earthquake as the biggest news of the day. Just a little over two hours after a 7.1 magnitude quake rocked Southern California, Kawhi Leonard registered a major aftershock when he decided to come to the Los Angeles Clippers and brought another All-Star player with him.

The stunning announcement shifted the balance of power in the NBA. All of a sudden, the Clippers — long considered the JV team at Staples Center — became the favorites to win the 2019-20 NBA title and it evaporated dreams of a Lakers superteam. In the end, Kawhi wasn’t really interested in joining forces with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He was more interested in creating his own dynamic duo across the hallway.

Sacramento may be the capital of California, but Los Angeles is now the epicenter of the basketball universe.

For a guy known around the league for being quiet, Kawhi sure knows how to communicate what he wants. Kawhi looked around the landscape to see who’d be interested in joining him in L.A. He reportedly tried Kevin Durant, but he was already set for Brooklyn. There were reports he tried to lure Kyrie Irving but Kyrie also had his sights set on Brooklyn. That’s when he turned his attention to another former Southern California native, Paul George. Kawhi laid the groundwork by talking to George about joining forces. Once PG13 was onboard, Kawhi then told the Clippers what he wanted. His message was: make it happen and I’m coming. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, coach Doc Rivers and general manager Lawrence Frank went to work, and with the help of legend Jerry West acting as yoda, the Clippers got a deal done with Oklahoma City to bring George to L.A. Once PG13 was in the Clipper fold, Kawhi said “no” to the Lakers and Toronto Raptors.

This is now the new NBA. Two stars surrounded by good role players.

When Durant decided to leave Golden State and take his talents to Brooklyn, the superteam era officially came to an end. And this is a good thing for the league because the Warriors simply had a significant competitive advantage during Durant’s three years in the Bay Area. They had arguably four of the top 15 players in the league all in the primes. It just wasn’t fair.

Now that the Warriors are down to three studs (two for now until Klay Thompson returns from his ACL injury), teams feel like they have a shot.

Kawhi saw what Durant went through in Golden State. He saw all the scrutiny KD endured for joining a superteam and he wasn’t about to walk into that same fire. Kawhi already earned two NBA championship rings and wasn’t interested in being handed a third.

The move may not have been popular in Laker Land but it definitely made it a lot more interesting for the NBA and basketball fans. The league is wide open.

The Clippers may be heavy favorites according to Las Vegas oddmakers but there are bunch of teams led by terrific tandems right behind them, all with legitimate shots at winning a championship. OneManFastbreak breaks down the best duos in the NBA:

Kawhi Leonard + Paul George (L.A. Clippers) – Kawhi and PG are considered the best two-way players in the NBA. Add pit bull guard Patrick Beverley to the mix and the Clippers may possess the most impenetrable defense in basketball.

LeBron James + Anthony Davis (L.A. Lakers) – Last we checked, LeBron is still pretty good. He’s coming off one of his worst seasons due to injury, but statistically LeBron is still a top-15 player when healthy. The same can be said about AD. When he’s healthy, Davis is arguably the best big man in the basketball and capable of producing astronomical numbers.

Steph Curry + Klay Thompson (Golden State Warriors) – The Splash Brothers have taken a bit of a hit recently due to injuries and tons of mileage from playing in five straight NBA Finals. But we’re not ready to count out the Splash Brothers.

James Harden + Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets) – When Woj broke the story that Westbrook would be traded from OKC to Houston for Chris Paul and draft picks, a lot of basketball pundits immediately dismissed the Harden-Westbrook collabo as a desperate move by the Rockets. Talking heads are completely missing one important factor: friendship. Harden and Westbrook are very good friends off the court, so they will find a way to make it work on the court.

Damian Lillard + C.J. McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers) – One NBA executive said Lillard and McCollum are so good they can carry three dudes from the YMCA into the playoffs. Lillard and McCollum could have been in the Finals if Jusuf Nurkic didn’t break his leg.

Ben Simmons + Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) – Simmons and Embiid are the Eastern Conference version of LeBron and AD. The Sixers came within a Kawhi Hail Mary bounce in Game 7 from reaching the conference finals. If Simmons adds a jumper and Embiid gets in better shape, Philly could reach the Finals for the first time since the Allen Iverson era.

Mike Conley + Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz) – The Jazz upgraded at point guard with the acquisition of Mike Conley from Memphis. The veteran gives budding superstar Donovan Mitchell a runningmate who can run the team, score if needed and defend his position.

Jamal Murray + Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) – Jokic had a breakout season in 2019 as he established himself as one of the best centers in the Association. The 7-footer is a walking triple-double and the Nuggets run their offense through him. The Nuggets believe in Murray after signing him to a $170 million contract.

Kyrie Irving + Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) – This dynamic duo should be higher strictly on star power. Because of Durant’s devastating Achilles injury, NBA fans will have to wait a year. Kyrie will have to shoulder the load until KD returns.

Kevin Durant got the best of LeBron James in two straight NBA Finals. (Getty Images)

Each year OneManFastBreak.net ranks the five best players in the NBA. Let’s call it the “OMFB Furious Five.” It’s all about paying homage to the five styles of Chinese martial arts: snake, crane, monkey, praying mantis, and tiger.

The ranking system is based on one man’s opinion and does not follow or conform to any other format, with more emphasis placed on how each player did in the postseason. Last year’s OMFB Furious Five included James Harden (5), Russell Westbrook (4), Kevin Durant (3), Stephen Curry (2), and LeBron James (1).

The debate on who is top gun was settled after the Golden State Warriors swept the Cleveland Cavaliers.

OneManFastBreak.net rates the five best players in the Association:

5. RUSSELL WESTBROOK
Oklahoma City Thunder, Guard

Nobody plays with more raw emotion than Westbrook. Even though his exuberance leads to mistakes, it is the reason why he’s such a difficult cover. “Everybody thinks he should be a traditional point guard like a [John] Stockton or a Mo Cheeks (former Thunder assistant coach),” Durant said during the 2011 NBA Finals. “There’s a lot of people that cannot be like Russ, either. We need him to play the way he plays.” Westbrook’s impact on the court can’t be measured by mere statistics. He is the emotional leader of the Thunder, and his absence definitely altered the entire playoff picture. With him in the lineup, OKC is a championship contender. Without him, the Thunder won’t make it past the second round. Westbrook enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2014-15 as he won his first scoring title (28.1) while carrying the Thunder on his broad shoulders when Durant missed most of the season with a foot injury. Westbrook may not be the prototypical point guard, but what he brings to the table are speed, power and ferocity the league has never seen before at the guard position. In 2014, TNT analyst Kenny Smith said Westbrook will win MVP. That finally came to fruition in 2017 when Westbrook won his first MVP after becoming the first player in history to average a triple-double in a season since the great Oscar Robertson.

4. STEPHEN CURRY
Golden State Warriors, Guard

The 3-point shot has become an integral part of the game over the last decade. More and more teams are building their game plans around them. The Warriors built their championship foundation on the 3-point shooting skills of Wardell Stephen Curry. Golden State selected the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft. Six years later, Curry is the MVP of the NBA. He also ended the 40-year title drought in the Bay Area. Basketball legend Jerry West believes Curry is a transcendent player who “is going to change what we see in players coming into this league.” “All those little kids would want to look like him [and] play like him,” West said. “He doesn’t have a big body, he’s not the most incredible athlete we have, and he plays the game with finesse. We see a lot of players in this league that are big, strong guys that play with force. To me, so far, finesse has won out over force. It’s a game I like to watch. I love to watch him play.” Curry was the top vote-getter in the NBA All-Star Game and his highlights are viral hits on YouTube. Not bad for a guy who was thought of as an undersized shooting guard from tiny Davidson College in North Carolina. Curry is obliterating every 3-point shot record in the league. He is far and away the game’s deadliest long-range shooter, and holds the record for most 3-point field goals made in a season. But what sets him apart from other great shooters is his ability to handle the ball. “Steph Curry is a great shooter. We have never seen anybody on that level,” Curry’s former coach Mark Jackson said. “Steve Nash played at a high level, a two-time MVP and an incredible shooter — this is a different level. Reggie Miller, incredible shooter. Chris Mullin, incredible shooter. Guys I played with, Dale Ellis, Dell Curry, incredible shooters. But they didn’t have the total package. They aren’t coming off a trap and lifting from 30. This guy just has no limits.”

3. JAMES HARDEN
Houston Rockets, Guard

Can you imagine OKC now had it kept Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant? The Harden-to-Houston deal remains one of the most absurd moves in league history. The Thunder haven’t reached the NBA Finals since the trade, while Harden has risen to MVP status. Harden reminded OKC what they’re missing when he put on a memorable performance on Feb. 20, 2013 against his former team. It was a game that’ll convince you that Harden, now out of the shadows of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, is one of the best players in the world. With his Rockets down by 14 with under five minutes left, Harden decided to take the game over. He single-handedly rallied the Rockets, dropping a career-high 46 points in a 122-119 victory that had the Toyota Center buzzing — and the rest of the league for that matter — buzzing. Harden made 14 of 19 shots from the field and made seven of his eight 3-point attempts. It didn’t matter who OKC put on Harden, he just kept scoring. The signature play of the evening came at the two-minute mark of the final quarter when Harden faced Ibaka on the wing, gave him one crossover dribble, four between-the-legs dribbles, then stepped backed for a long 3-pointer over the best shot-blocker in the NBA to tie the score at 111. During the 2014-15 season, Harden led the Rockets to Western Conference finals where they fell to eventual champ Golden State. Harden reached a major milestone in his basketball career when he was named the 2017-18 regular season MVP after leading the Rockets to the best record in the NBA. Harden and the Rockets lost in Game 7 to Steph, KD and the Warriors in a hard-fought seven-game series in the Western Conference finals.

2. LEBRON JAMES
Cleveland Cavaliers, Forward

“I’m LeBron James, and I ain’t got no worries!” This was LeBron’s message to his detractors after leading the Heat to another championship in 2013. Three years later, James still has no worries after pulling off the unthinkable: He led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship and ended the 52-year championship drought in the city of Cleveland. James was sensational during the 2016 NBA Finals. He averaged a Finals best 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks. He made The Block in the final minute of Game 7 at Oakland’s Oracle Arena when he chased down Andre Iguodala and prevented what could have been the dagger layup that might have ended the Cavs’ championship hopes. Instead, with one super-human rejection, he lifted the Cleveland curse and set up Kyrie Irving’s game-winning 3-pointer that will be forever be known in northeast Ohio as The Shot. LeBron’s 2016 Finals performance was a stark contrast to his infamous “shrinking” in an embarrassing 4-2 series loss to Dallas in the 2011 Finals.

James said the Mavs series humbled him and he learned an important lesson. It made him make some significant changes on and off the court, including adding a post-up game with the help of Hakeem Olajuwon. LeBron reduced the amount of 3-point attempts and made a concerted effort to take the ball to the basket. He put together one of the most dominant and efficient regular seasons in league history, and earned his fourth MVP award. LeBron and Co. authored a historic 27-game winning streak and finished with a league-best 66 wins. He raised his level of play during the postseason and the signature moment came in Game 7 of the 2013 Finals when he drained a mid-range jumper from the wing with 27 seconds left to put the Heat up by four. For the series he averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. James will always have his critics because of the way he left Cleveland the first time. But now he’s back in Ohio. He fulfilled his promise by bringing a championship to The Land, cementing his basketball legacy and silencing his critics. For someone who will go down in history as one of the greatest to ever play the game, LeBron has endured a ton of criticism. He has risen to the challenge, proving to the whole world that he is fit to be king.

And now, the No. 1 player in the world. Drum roll please . . .

1. KEVIN DURANT
Golden State Warriors, Forward

Kevin Durant makes the Golden State Warriors the most explosive team in the NBA.

If you want to know what makes Durant such a special talent, just watch his MVP speech from 2014. What he said during his emotional address spoke volumes about his character. He thanked all his coaches and teammates, and then he honored his mom. KD is not one of the best players on the planet. He’s one of the best human beings you will ever meet. Durant has already accomplished a lot in his career. He’s a four-time NBA scoring champ, five-time All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year in 2008 and was named MVP in 2014. He also took home gold medals at the 2010 FIBA World Cup, 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Several teams during the London Olympics paid Durant the highest compliment when they played a box-and-one defense on the 6-10 scoring machine. Remember, Team USA had LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry on the roster, but it was Durant who received the most attention from the opposition. It is hard to believe Durant could go up another notch in terms of his game, but he did. He added more layers to his already impressive arsenal, and improved statistically across the board. Durant hasn’t shot below 50 percent from the field since 2012. He has a career scoring average of 27 points per game and he’s nearly a 90 percent shooter from the free throw line. After playing in just 27 games in the 2015-15 season because of a foot injury, KD has returned to form the following season and he’s only getting stronger with each passing game. Durant made the most important decision of his pro career when he left OKC and joined the Warriors, creating basketball’s version of Murderers’ Row. The addition of KD has made the Warriors unbeatable. The Dubs blitzed through the 2016-17 playoffs with record-setting 16-1 mark and followed that with a 16-5 postseason run that culminated in a sweep of LeBron’s Cavs in The Finals. Durant won his second straight Finals MVP award after averaging 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and shooting 52 percent from the field. If there any doubts as to who is now the best player in the world, Durant answered them emphatically with a 43-point performance in Game 3 on the road that pretty much sealed the fate of the Cavs and locked up the Dubs’ third NBA title in four years.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

(Photos by Getty Images)

Each year OneManFastBreak.net ranks the five best players in the NBA. Let’s call it the “OMFB Furious Five.” It’s all about paying homage to the five styles of Chinese martial arts: snake, crane, monkey, praying mantis, and tiger.

The ranking system is based on one man’s opinion and does not follow or conform to any other format, with more emphasis placed on how each player did in the postseason. Last year’s OMFB Furious Five included James Harden (5), Russell Westbrook (4), Kevin Durant (3), LeBron James (2), and Stephen Curry (1).

LeBron and Steph met in the 2016 NBA Finals, and that’s where the debate was settled on who was the true king of basketball.

OneManFastBreak.net rates the five best players in the Association:

5. JAMES HARDEN
Houston Rockets, Guard

Can you imagine OKC now had it kept Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant? The Harden-to-Houston deal remains one of the most absurd moves in league history. The Thunder hasn’t return to the NBA Finals since the trade, while Harden has risen as an MVP candidate. Harden reminded OKC what they’re missing when he put on a memorable performance on Feb. 20, 2013 against his former team. It was a game that’ll convince you that Harden, now out of the shadows of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, is one of the best players in the world. With his Rockets down by 14 with under five minutes left, Harden decided to take the game over. He single-handedly rallied the Rockets, dropping a career-high 46 points in a 122-119 victory that had the Toyota Center buzzing — and the rest of the league for that matter — buzzing. Harden made 14 of 19 shots from the field and made seven of his eight 3-point attempts. It didn’t matter who OKC put on Harden, he just kept scoring. The signature play of the evening came at the two-minute mark of the final quarter when Harden faced Ibaka on the wing, gave him one crossover dribble, four between-the-legs dribbles, then stepped backed for a long 3-pointer over the best shot-blocker in the NBA to tie the score at 111. During the 2014-15 season, Harden led the Rockets to Western Conference finals where they fell to eventual champ Golden State.

4. RUSSELL WESTBROOK
Oklahoma City Thunder, Guard

Nobody plays with more raw emotion than Westbrook. Even though his exuberance leads to mistakes, it is the reason why he’s such a difficult cover. “Everybody thinks he should be a traditional point guard like a [John] Stockton or a Mo Cheeks (former Thunder assistant coach),” Durant said during the 2011 NBA Finals. “There’s a lot of people that cannot be like Russ, either. We need him to play the way he plays.” Westbrook’s impact on the court can’t be measured by mere statistics. He is the emotional leader of the Thunder, and his absence definitely altered the entire playoff picture. With him in the lineup, OKC is a championship contender. Without him, the Thunder won’t make it past the second round. Westbrook enjoyed his best season in 2014-15 as he won his first scoring title (28.1) while carrying the Thunder on his broad shoulders when Durant missed most of the season with a foot injury. Westbrook may not be the prototypical point guard, but what he brings to the table are speed, power and ferocity the league has never seen before at the guard position. Two years ago, TNT analyst Kenny Smith said Westbrook will win MVP. That hasn’t come to fruition yet, but Westbrook is clearly in the MVP conversation.

3. KEVIN DURANT
Golden State Warriors, Forward

If you want to know what makes Durant such a special talent, just watch his MVP speech from 2014. What he said during his emotional address spoke volumes about his character. He thanked all his coaches and teammates, and then he honored his mom. KD is not one of the best players on the planet. He’s one of the best human beings you will ever meet. Durant has already accomplished a lot in his career. He’s a four-time NBA scoring champ, five-time All-NBA selection, Rookie of the Year in 2008 and was named MVP in 2014. He also took home gold medals at the 2010 FIBA World Cup, 2012 London Olympics and the 2016 Rio Olympics. Several teams during the London Olympics paid Durant the highest compliment when they played a box-and-one defense on the 6-10 scoring machine. Remember, Team USA had LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry on the roster, but it was Durant who received the most attention from the opposition. It is hard to believe Durant could go up another notch in terms of his game, but he did. He added more layers to his already impressive arsenal, and improved statistically across the board. Durant hasn’t shot below 50 percent from the field since 2012. He has a career scoring average of 27 points per game and he’s nearly a 90 percent shooter from the free throw line. After playing in just 27 games in the 2015-15 season because of a foot injury, KD has returned to form the following season and he’s only getting stronger with each passing game. The only box left unchecked for KD is a championship, and he’s working his way toward that goal now that he’s a member of the high-powered Golden State Warriors.

Kevin Durant makes the Golden State Warriors the most explosive team in the NBA.

2. STEPHEN CURRY
Golden State Warriors, Guard

The 3-point shot has become an integral part of the game over the last decade. More and more teams are building their game plans around them. The Warriors built their championship foundation on the 3-point shooting skills of Wardell Stephen Curry. Golden State selected the son of former NBA sharpshooter Dell Curry with the seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft. Six years later, Curry is the MVP of the NBA. He also ended the 40-year title drought in the Bay Area. Basketball legend Jerry West believes Curry is a transcendent player who “is going to change what we see in players coming into this league.” “All those little kids would want to look like him [and] play like him,” West said.

“He doesn’t have a big body, he’s not the most incredible athlete we have, and he plays the game with finesse. We see a lot of players in this league that are big, strong guys that play with force. To me, so far, finesse has won out over force. It’s a game I like to watch. I love to watch him play.” Curry was the top vote-getter in the NBA All-Star Game and his highlights are viral hits on YouTube. Not bad for a guy who was thought of as an undersized shooting guard from tiny Davidson College in North Carolina. Curry is obliterating every 3-point shot record in the league. He is far and away the game’s deadliest long-range shooter, and holds the record for most 3-point field goals made in a season. But what sets him apart from other great shooters is his ability to handle the ball. “Steph Curry is a great shooter. We have never seen anybody on that level,” Curry’s former coach Mark Jackson said. “Steve Nash played at a high level, a two-time MVP and an incredible shooter — this is a different level. Reggie Miller, incredible shooter. Chris Mullin, incredible shooter. Guys I played with, Dale Ellis, Dell Curry, incredible shooters. But they didn’t have the total package. They aren’t coming off a trap and lifting from 30. This guy just has no limits.”

And now, the No. 1 player in the world. Drum roll please . . .

1. LEBRON JAMES
Cleveland Cavaliers, Forward

“I’m LeBron James, and I ain’t got no worries!” This was LeBron’s message to his detractors after leading the Heat to another championship in 2013. Three years later, James still has no worries after pulling off the unthinkable: He led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first NBA championship and ended the 52-year championship drought in the city of Cleveland. James was sensational during the 2016 NBA Finals. He averaged a Finals best 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.3 blocks. He made The Block in the final minute of Game 7 at Oakland’s Oracle Arena when he chased down Andre Iguodala and prevented what could have been the dagger layup that might have ended the Cavs’ championship hopes. Instead, with one super-human rejection, he lifted the Cleveland curse and set up Kyrie Irving’s game-winning 3-pointer that will be forever be known in northeast Ohio as The Shot. LeBron’s 2016 Finals performance was a stark contrast to his infamous “shrinking” in an embarrassing 4-2 series loss to Dallas in the 2011 Finals.

James said the Mavs series humbled him and he learned an important lesson. It made him make some significant changes on and off the court, including adding a post-up game with the help of Hakeem Olajuwon. LeBron reduced the amount of 3-point attempts and made a concerted effort to take the ball to the basket. He put together one of the most dominant and efficient regular seasons in league history, and earned his fourth MVP award. LeBron and Co. authored a historic 27-game winning streak and finished with a league-best 66 wins. He raised his level of play during the postseason and the signature moment came in Game 7 of the 2013 Finals when he drained a mid-range jumper from the wing with 27 seconds left to put the Heat up by four. For the series he averaged 25 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. James will always have his critics because of the way he left Cleveland the first time. But now he’s back in Ohio. He fulfilled his promise by bringing a championship to The Land, cementing his basketball legacy and silencing his critics. For someone who will go down in history as one of the greatest to ever play the game, LeBron has endured a ton of criticism. He has risen to the challenge, proving to the whole world that he is fit to be king.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

(Photos by Getty Images)

Who is the real King James? Harden is challenging LeBron for the 2015 MVP. (GETTY IMAGES)

LeBron James may appear like he doesn’t care much about the MVP race, but he does.

ESPN basketball writer Brian Windhorst, also known as James’ biographer, revealed that LeBron listens, reads and watches all the accolades heaped upon Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis and James Harden. LeBron has been relegated to third or fourth choice, and this isn’t sitting well with The King.

James is a four-time regular-season NBA MVP and the reigning title-holder of world’s top player. Even though Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant captured the throne in 2014, KD was just keeping the throne warm for King James.

Curry is the sexy pick to win MVP this season because: A) he plays on the league’s top team, B) and he ranks in the top 10 in five statistical categories. He’s also put together a couple of YouTube-worthy highlights, making him a fan favorite of the online world. Curry’s Golden State squad will likely be the top-seeded team in the Western Conference when the playoffs begin, and that alone could be enough to persuade voters to give Curry the 2015 MVP. But if there is an argument against Curry it’s the simple fact that the Warriors are loaded.

The Warriors have been the best shooting team and one of the top defensive teams this season, and Curry has only been one part of the GSW machine. His backcourt teammate, Klay Thompson, has emerged as arguably the second best shooting guard in the NBA, behind only Harden, and Draymond Green could likely be the NBA’s most improved player.

Harden was the early MVP favorite for keeping the Houston Rockets near the top of the Western Conference despite not having center Dwight Howard. But The Beard has tailed off a bit since the All-Star break, even relinquishing the league lead in scoring to Westbrook. The Rockets have dropped a few spots in the standings, which could hurt Harden’s chances.

Westbrook is the late-comer to the party, but he is commanding center stage at the moment with a string of triple-doubles reminiscent of the great Oscar Robertson. But OKC is fighting for eighth in the West, and traditionally the MVP goes to the player on on the first- or second-place team in the conference. As great as Westbrook has been the last two months, he won’t get a sniff of the MVP trophy.

Davis got off to a historic start when he was posting numbers few of us have seen. But injuries have curtailed the New Orleans Pelicans franchise player and he’s just recently found his groove again. Davis is in the top 10 of four statistical categories, and his meteoric rise to superstardom is one of the better storylines of the season. If the Pelicans make the playoffs — and it’s a big IF — Davis should vault ahead of Westbrook and challenge Harden, Curry and LeBron for the top spot.

Which brings us to LeBron.

James may be a victim of his own greatness. He has created a metric that only he can achieve, making it very easy to ignore his dominance and brilliance.

Sound familiar.

Michael Jordan was so good during the 1990s MVP voters looked the other way to prevent a Jordan overload. Jordan could have easily been named MVP eight times in the decade but that would have been too easy. Voters went out of their way to give the award to Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and Magic Johnson.

LeBron is averaging 26 points, 5.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists this season. Those numbers would astronomical for any human being, but it’s just a ho-hum season for LeBron. The Cavaliers were basically out of playoff contention at the same time last year, and this year, with LeBron back in the fold, they’re challenging for the second-best record in the East.

In showcase showdowns with Curry and Harden, LeBron made big statements. LeBron torched Curry’s Warriors for 42 points on Feb. 26, and even though the Cavs lost in overtime to Harden’s Rockets on March 1 LeBron sent a strong message to Harden that he’s still the top dog in the Association. When the two superstars were matched up against each other, King James bottled up The Beard for long stretches in the fourth quarter and overtime. LeBron worked so hard on the defensive end it probably caused him to go 3-for-11 from the free throw line.

LeBron seems to have fallen into the Jordan category. Voters tend to go out of their way to make a case for fresh faces such as Curry, Harden and Westbrook because they’d like to avoid giving the award to LeBron a fifth time.

But this doesn’t make it the right call.

When picking the MVP for the 2014-15 season there is one logical choice, and he’s wearing No. 23 for the Cavaliers.

James Harden is enjoying the best season of his NBA career. (GETTY IMAGES)

Back in 2012 the great Bill Simmons wrote a great piece on Grantland that rips Oklahoma City management for breaking up a three-headed monster in James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

The last line of Simmons’ article read: Oklahoma City will rue the day it traded James Harden.

Fast forward to 2015.

The Thunder are hanging by a thread in the Western Conference, while the Rockets are rolling near the top of the standings.

Oklahoma City stumbled out of the gates when Westbrook and Durant missed the first quarter of the season with injuries and has not been able to regain its footing. And even when Westbrook and Durant are in the lineup, the Thunder have struggled to string together any type of winning streak. On Jan. 28, OKC hit rock bottom when it fell to the lottery-bound New York Knicks.

When you lose to a team that is purposely trying to lose games, you know you’re in deep trouble.

In the words of the great Chick Hearn, the Thunder’s playoff hopes are in the refrigerator. The door is closed, the lights out, the eggs are cooling, the butter is getting hard and the Jell-O’s jiggling.

Despite deep playoff runs the last four years, including a couple of trips to the conference finals, the Thunder have not returned to the NBA Finals since 2012 when Harden was still running with Westbrook and Durant.

Oklahoma City has not been able to fill the “Harden role” for the past three seasons. They’ve tried Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and Reggie Jackson. None of them have measured up to No. 13.

That number has not been worn in OKC since Harden left, and when newly acquired Dion Waiters requested to wear No. 13 the Thunder oddly denied the request. Apparently, that wound hasn’t healed yet and having Waiters wear No. 13 would only bring up painful memories. It’d be like having your current girlfriend wear you ex-girlfriend’s ring.

Harden, the Thunder’s first-round pick in 2009, is enjoying the best season of his young NBA life. In his third season with the Rockets, the pride of Artesia High School is averaging career highs in points (27), assists (6.8), steals (1.9) and free throw percentage (89%). His 27 points per game leads the Association and from the way he’s stroking it this season he’s on his way to his first scoring title. And his defense has also picked up, something he was heavily criticized for last season.

If the season ended today, Harden, 25, would be the runway choice for MVP.

That’s gotta be killing Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City management. While OKC struggles to find the next James Harden, the real James Harden has become one of the best players in basketball.

If there is any doubt that Harden is the hardest one-on-one cover in the league, just ask his former teammates who got a taste of the man Steve Smith calls The Barber for the way he cuts up his opponents. Watch Harden put Waiters on skates: