Harden had the the requisite statistical ammunition working for him. But Curry had the stats and the better narrative (the didn’t-see-him-coming factor was strong). Harden won the peer vote later that summer when he was the inaugural National Basketball Players Association’s MVP pick for the 2014-15 season, after Curry bagged the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Harden believes he has a stronger case this time around, even if his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook has a more intriguing narrative with the load he’s shouldering after Kevin Durant’s departure via free agency for Golden State.

“I do, 100 percent,” he said after collecting his 17th triple-double of the season in a rout of the Los Angeles Lakers. “Two years ago the Warriors were in first place and Steph had sat out the fourth quarters of some games and what not. This year it’s almost the same way. My numbers are comparable to almost anybody in this league and then we’re third in the West when basically everybody basically counted us out. And we’re just winning. We’re having fun and no other All-Stars on my team or guys that have ever been All-Stars on my team. I don’t want to get all in depth with that. But we’re having fun and we’re winning and that’s all that matters.”

If only it were that simple.

The underlying story for both Harden and Westbrook will no doubt play a role in who ultimately walks away with the hardware this season.

They’ve both put together stunning seasons, surprising even, in this year of the triple-double. Harden has reinvented himself as a point guard in his first year in coach Mike D’Antoni’s system and leads the league in assists (11.3 per game) and also being among the top three scorers in the league.

Westbrook’s putting together a season for the ages, leading the league in scoring (31.7) and ranking third in assists (10.4), while having already surpassed Wilt Chamberlain for the second-most triple-doubles in a season and chasing Oscar Robertson’s record of 41 in a season.