Stephen Jackson Rips Rockets' James Harden for Not Supporting Stephen Silas

Former NBA player Stephen Jackson has taken issue with the fact that James Harden was late reporting to Houston Rockets training camp following the hiring of Stephen Silas as head coach.

According to TMZ Sports, Jackson referenced Harden's decision to attend rapper Lil Baby's birthday party rather than go to camp and suggested that his antics are sabotaging Silas: 

"What type of dude is you? The Rockets finally get a young Black coach—a young Black coach get an opportunity—and you don't wanna show up to camp. You don't wanna play for him. How that look? And you wonder why every time a Black coach get a job, they put him in a bulls--t situation.

"Look watchu doing. ... What a real one would do is go play for that Black coach and make him look good and build with John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins—some real ones. But obviously you wanna chase rappers around."

Harden may not be long for Houston, as ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported in mid-November that the reigning three-time NBA scoring champion requested a trade after he rejected a contract extension offer that would have paid him $50 million per year.

He reported to camp Tuesday.

Silas has been viewed as a top head coaching candidate for the past few years, and he is finally getting an opportunity to prove himself in Houston after stints as an assistant for multiple teams, including the Dallas Mavericks for the past two seasons.

His tenure with the Rockets has gotten off to a somewhat inauspicious start, though, and it is primarily due to the trade chatter surrounding Harden, as well as his late arrival at camp.

The Rockets also dealt veteran guard Russell Westbrook to the Washington Wizards for John Wall and a protected first-round pick in a move that may have been made to push Harden toward signing an extension.

There is no indication that Harden wants to have a long-term future in Houston, but Silas' success could depend largely on Harden's play.

Harden is the premier offensive player in the NBA. He has been named an All-Star in each of his eight seasons with the Rockets and has averaged over 30 points per game in each of the past three seasons and is a one-time NBA MVP.

Houston has some solid pieces in place and could be a force in the Western Conference during the 2020-21 season if Harden is committed and plays hard.

Both Wall and DeMarcus Cousins are former All-Stars coming off significant injuries, but if they play anything close to the way they did before getting hurt, they could be two huge additions.

The Rockets also signed big man Christian Wood, who came into his own last season with the Detroit Pistons and gives Houston the kind of length it lacked after trading Clint Capela to the Atlanta Hawks last season.

Houston's inability to break through with an NBA Finals appearance during his tenure has seemingly contributed to Harden's desire to get traded, but a deep playoff run this season isn't out of the question if things break the right way.