What a difference 365 days can make.
This time a year ago, the Rockets conglomerate arrived at the NBA Awards ceremony in Los Angeles in unifying fashion. Chris Paul, GM Daryl Morey and CEO Tad Brown were joking around, and Paul was a week away from agreeing to a four-year, $160 million max contract to remain James Harden’s running mate. Other members of the staff were in attendance, too, in anticipation of an MVP announcement that finally went Harden’s way.
This year? Harden was on a tour in China when the official announcement came that he was a runner-up once more, this time to Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. It marks the third time The Beard has finished second in the past five years (2017 to Russell Westbrook; 2015 to Stephen Curry). In doing so, he joins an illustrious group of three-time close-but-no-cigar guys, which includes Kevin Durant (second to LeBron James in 2010, ’12 and 13′) and Michael Jordan (second to Magic…
