James Harden Receives Tribute Video in Return to Houston; Nets Star Salutes Fans

Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden received a warm welcome in Wednesday's road game against the Houston Rockets, as the team played a tribute video for its former star:

Harden saluted the crowd by making a heart sign with his hands:

It's the second time that Houston gave Harden a tribute video, but the one they did for him in March was shown in front of a limited-capacity crowd because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After spending the first three seasons of his career as the Oklahoma City Thunder's sixth man, Harden was acquired by the Houston Rockets prior to the 2012 season. In his starting role, Harden blossomed into one of the most dynamic offensive players in the NBA.

The 2018 NBA MVP has been selected to nine straight All-Star Games since 2013. He led the NBA in assists in 2017 and won three consecutive scoring titles from 2017-18 to 2019-20.

Harden demanded to be traded in November 2020, and the Nets acquired him in January. He entered Wednesday's game averaging 20.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 9.6 assists this season.