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Published 12:07 IST, April 9th 2020

Jayson Tatum calls LeBron 'the best', rates Harden over Giannis for 2018-19 MVP honour

Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum did an Instagram live on Wednesday where he stated that he feels Rockets' James Harden should have won the NBA MVP award last year.

Reported by: Devika Pawar
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Boston Celtics Jayson Tatum did an Instagram live on Wednesday, where he talked about his top five NBA players, LeBron James and Kevin Durant. While Jayson Tatum spoke about LeBron James being the NBA's current top player, he also mentioned Houston Rockets James Harden and last year's NBA MVP award. Along with that, the Celtics star even revealed who his current starting 5 would be.

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Celtics Jayson Tatum chooses Rockets James Harden as last year's NBA MVP over Giannis Antetokounmpo

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Jayson Tatum wanted James Harden to win two back-to-back NBA MVP awards

Jayson Tatum spoke about Harden and how he thinks the Rockets star deserved two consecutive MVP awards. Fans reacted to Tatum's statement with mixed feelings. Some agreed with Jayson Tatum's opinion, while some thought Giannis Antetokounmpo's MVP award was well deserved. 

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Jayson Tatum also spoke about this year's NBA MVP, believing that Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James should win it this year. This season, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been the frontrunners for the NBA MVP award. After the season was suspended on March 11 due to the coronavirus pandemic, a mock ballot conducted revealed that most people currently favour Giannis over James. Before the suspension, Giannis Antetokounmpo was averaging 29.6 points per game while LeBron James was averaging 25.7 points per game. 

Tatum also added Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant and LA Clippers' Kawhi Leonard to his list of top NBA players. Durant had been sidelined for the entire season due to his Achilles heel injury, while Leonard had been averaging 26.9 points per game. He even made a list of his ideal starting five, which includes James, Harden, Philadelphia 76ers centre Joel Embiid, Lakers' Anthony Davis and Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry. 

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Updated 12:07 IST, April 9th 2020