James Harden Rumors: Exec Doesn't See Rockets Star Sacrificing to Win Title
James Harden wants a trade from the Houston Rockets to a team he feels can win a championship. However, some NBA executives do not feel he is capable of making the sacrifices necessary to lead a team to a title.
"I don't think he is," an Eastern Conference executive told Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated. "James is like Allen Iverson: He wants to win his way and put up historical numbers while he's winning. I would never question their desire to win, but they all want to win on their terms."
Harden has reportedly been given carte blanche within the Houston organization since his arrival, and the team has enjoyed a franchise-record eight straight playoff appearances as a result. The team has also shuffled through several supporting casts in that timeframe as it tries to find the right mix necessary to lead them to a championship.
Harden had failed partnerships with Dwight Howard, then one with Chris Paul and one more with Russell Westbrook. The Paul-Harden combo was the Rockets' most successful, coming within one game of upsetting the KD-Steph-Klay-Draymond Warriors in 2018, but Harden has been the common denominator in these failings.
Harden's distinct, iso-heavy style rankled Paul and Westbrook. Paul wanted more ball movement. Westbrook wanted a new home where he could "be himself."
While Howard, Paul and Westbrook are not themselves known as being the easiest people to play with, skepticism about Harden as a teammate is fair. Since his trade request, Harden potentially alienated his current teammates by failing to show up to training camp on time so he could party with Lil Baby in Atlanta and go to a club in Las Vegas—all without wearing a mask, potentially putting his teammates at risks of contracting COVID-19.
Questions of whether Harden is "selfish" will likely follow him until he does win a ring, or even after his career if he fails in his pursuit. There are no concerns about his skill level; he may be the most gifted scorer in NBA history, and his ability to hit shots with wild degrees of difficulty make him a top-10 offense himself.
That said, these lingering questions about Harden likely play a role in why teams have thus far refused to sell the farm for an in-his-prime superstar who could finish his career as one of the 20-30 greatest players in NBA history.
