(Santa Monica, CA) -- LeBron James will have to wait another year for his fifth NBA Most Valuable Player award. The NBA's MVP is going to "The Beard." Rockets star James Harden earned the league's top honor for the first time at the NBA Awards Show in Santa Monica, California.
Harden averaged 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game this past season.
Sixers guard Ben Simmons beat out Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell for Rookie of the Year, Utah center Rudy Gobert won Defensive Player of the Year and Clippers guard Lou Williams came away with Sixth Man of the Year.
Former Raptors coach Dwane Casey was named Coach of the Year. Casey was fired by Toronto and is now the head coach of the Pistons. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey earned the Executive of the Year Award.
(Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)