The Houston Rockets may be at the eighth place at the moment this NBA regular season, but it looks like MVP runner-up James Harden has yet to lose hope on their team. Trailing way behind the Golden State Warriors, the Dwight Howard squad is still confident about their ability to rise in the Western Conference. As Stephen Curry once leads the league in scoring, the Ty Lawson team has other ideas on who deserves the MVP title this season.

In an earlier report, Klay Thompson declared himself as the best shooting guard in the NBA. The Golden State Warriors star ranked himself higher than both Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls and Harden of the Houston Rockets. Apart from staking a claim to the top shooting guard post, Thompson also placed himself as a close second to Curry. In his mind, the half of the Splash Brothers believes that he has outdone the likes of Minnesota Timberwolves' Andrew Wiggins, Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade and Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan. Ranked as the top shooting guard by the NBA, Harden simply scuffs at Thompson's claims.

"People are going to talk," said Harden, according to Fox Sports. The Houston Rockets star added, "Just let them talk and do whatever they're going to do. Whatever gets them excited and whatever gives them that confidence to want to talk, just go ahead and do it. But we really know what's going on."

Before Thompson's interview, Harden also disputed the decision of the NBA to award the MVP trophy to Curry. In the 2014-15 season, the Golden State Warriors point guard outshone Harden and even Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James for the said honor. However, the Houston Rockets star felt then that the award should have been awarded to him.

"I am the best player in the league," said Harden in an interview with Fran Blinebury of the NBA. He added, "I believe that. I thought I was last year, too. I know I was the MVP. That's 100 percent given all the things that happened last season." With his reaction to Thompson's claims, it looks like Harden still feels the same way this NBA regular season.

Meanwhile, his performance in the hardwood court is not the only reason for Harden's popularity in the media these days. His highly publicized romance with reality star Khloe Kardashian also places him in the spotlight. Harden's name was further dragged into the headlines when Lamar Odom, the estranged husband of the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star, was sent to the emergency room due to drug and alcohol abuse. The incident saw both the former Los Angeles Clippers star and Khloe halt the proceedings of their divorce - a move that made Harden's presence in the scenario awkward.

However, reports reveal that The Beard and Khloe are still going strong. Moreover, the reality star is said to be back in her role as the supportive girlfriend of the basketball star.

"She [Khloe] is with him [Harden] now in Houston," revealed a source to People Magazine. The insider added, "She went to his game last night and bowling. They are still together and having fun."