Video: James Harden Gets Mixed Reception from Rockets Fans in Return with Nets
March 4, 2021
Rather predictably, Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden received a mixed reaction with loud boos but also some cheers when his name was announced at Toyota Center prior to Wednesday's game against the Houston Rockets.
Harden played in front of those fans in Houston from the 2012-13 campaign until he was traded earlier this season.
It makes sense that the reaction was mixed. On the one hand, he is one of the best players in franchise history who led the Rockets to the playoffs in all eight of his full seasons and won a league MVP during his Houston tenure.
On the other hand, his time with the Rockets came to a rocky conclusion.
Jack Baer of Yahoo Sports noted nine-time All-Star requested a trade that "hung over the team throughout the preseason and the beginning of the regular season, first when he skipped the beginning of training camp while openly partying, then publicly airing his grievances with the team."
Things got particularly ugly when he said, "This Situation Is Crazy. I Don't Think It Can Be Fixed."
That didn't stop the Rockets from preparing a video celebrating his time with the team:
Harden never won a championship in Houston but has an opportunity to do so with Brooklyn alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on one of the best teams in the league.