Christian Rodriguez, Staff Writer

The NBA regular season is coming to an end with just a month left before playoffs and it will be time to select the leagues most valuable player. That player used to be decided by player votes around the NBA up until the 1979-80 season. Since the 1980-81 season, that player is decided by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada, each of whom casts a vote for first to fifth place selections.

There has been some elite play from a number of players around the NBA and it has certainly been a fun season to watch, but there are two stars that stick out. Those stars are Oklahoma City Thunder’s point guard Russell Westbrook and Houston Rocket’s point guards James Harden. Both superstars are putting up incredible numbers and reaching numerous milestones. Westbrook is doing something that hasn’t been done in decades, averaging a triple double and is close to breaking the single-season record for triple-doubles set by Oscar “Big O” Robertson. James Harden is a double-double machine and is leading the league in assists in his first year as the Rocket’s primary point guard. Along with that he has also had a handful of 50-point double-doubles this season. Even though these two are having truly memorable seasons, there can only be one MVP.

UC sophomore Donald Malone says if he were to choose a most valuable player, it would be James Harden without a doubt.

“He is running one of the most efficient offenses in the league without another all-star on the team,” Malone said.

Junior Miles McNeill is a huge fan of Westbrook’s work this season and has him as the 2016-17 MVP award winner.

“Westbrook is going to win because nobody has had his stats since Oscar Robertson and he is carrying his team with no other real stars,” Mcniell said.

Junior, Mike Canizzo says it is tough for him to choose because they are both putting up unbelievable numbers and are doing the same thing in different ways. For Canizzo it comes down to team records and that is where he has Harden as his MVP.

“James took a team of very average players and below average players and led them to being the third seed in a tough western conference,” Canizzo said.

Things seem to be heating up in the league as far as it gets closer to post season, and everyone will be looking forward to find out who is named MVP.