Cavaliers’ James Harden admits regret over leaving Rockets during prime of his career

Career-altering decisions come with the territory in professional sports, and James Harden learned that firsthand at the peak of his powers with the Houston Rockets. Speaking on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, the ten-time All-Star opened up about his lingering regret over forcing his way out of Houston in a desperate pursuit of an NBA championship ring.

“Let me just try to sacrifice the money, the individual accolades, all that. Let me just try to sacrifice and switch it up a little bit, and hopefully that’ll work in my favor in the sense of trying to win a championship,“ Harden admitted.

Navigating his subsequent stints, Harden reflected on how “tricky” things got upon joining the Brooklyn Nets and later adjusting his role with the Philadelphia 76ers—admitting that, ultimately, “None of that worked.”

“I sacrificed money, I sacrificed being the top scorer that I am, that I still am and will be. Long story short: it was for nothing,” Cleveland Cavaliers‘ star confessed, reflecting on his ring-chasing journey during a wild NBA offseason defined by blockbuster player movement across the league, like Klay Thompson going to the Miami Heat.

Harden’s tumultuous exit from Houston

James Harden’s departure from Houston in early 2021 followed a chaotic offseason in which he rejected a historic two-year, $103 million extension and demanded a trade. He delayed reporting to training camp, missing mandatory practices while attending events in Atlanta and Las Vegas in violation of the league’s health and safety protocols.

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Once he finally rejoined the team, Harden’s on-court effort dropped off noticeably, leading to an uninspired 3-6 start for the Rockets. Over his final five games in Houston, his production cratered to just 17.4 points per game on under 38% shooting from the field.

The situation reached its breaking point following a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, where Harden bluntly told reporters that the Rockets were “just not good enough” to fix. Houston traded him to the Brooklyn Nets the very next day in a massive four-team blockbuster deal.