James Harden was on everybody’s mouths at the beginning of last season. He pulled off one of the biggest moves in NBA history by forcing his way out of the Houston Rockets to join the Brooklyn Nets.
A lot of people criticized Harden for the way he handled that situation. He showed up late to training camp, he was overweight, and didn’t have any regard for health & safety protocols. More than that, he called out the team in public and that was a breaking point for both parties.
But now that the season has come to an end and he already got a taste of what it’s like to play next to Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Harden looked back on his time in Houston and admitted to being disappointed in himself.
James Harden Says He’s Disappointed In Himself For Not Winning A Ring At Houston
(Transcript via Sports Illustrated)
“SI: Your annual JH-Town event in Houston is coming up. How would you describe your relationship with the city at the moment?
JH: Houston will always hold a special place in my heart. I spent the last nine years there. On the court it was what it was. I was disappointed in myself that I couldn’t bring a championship there because that’s what I put the jersey on for every single game. But the community work really lets me see the impact I can have on the city. We’ve been through some tough times with [Hurricane Harvey] and all types of things. And just being able to come back now and be there for people and support them, I’m going to do that as long as I can.”
Harden turned the Rockets into perennial championship contenders. He was one of the greatest players in franchise history and poured his heart and soul for that team night in and night out.
Then again, some fans will never forgive him -and rightfully so- for the way he dealt with his desire to leave the team, so maybe his JH-Town event won’t be as big of a success this year as it usually is.
