Few players can boast a legacy like James Harden’s. Despite never securing an NBA title, the Los Angeles Clippers star has left a lasting imprint on an entire generation of young players, many of whom are now rising through the league. Among them is Cam Thomas, a key figure for the Brooklyn Nets, who credits Harden, especially during his Houston Rockets days, for shaping his own style of play.
“I really patterned my game after James when he was in Houston,” Thomas shared during an appearance on The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis. “Just watching-like, I really tried to pattern my game after him a little bit but still take stuff from him.”
Thomas emphasized how Harden’s game influenced his development, particularly his scoring techniques. “I really tried to pattern my game after James: the ball in his hand, the step-back threes, all the iso moves,” said the 23-year-old guard.
Cam had the opportunity to see Harden’s influence up close during their brief time together in Brooklyn. Harden joined the Nets in late 2020 and stayed for just over a year, coinciding with Thomas’s rookie season. However, the two didn’t have much time together, as Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers before the conclusion of that campaign.
Despite their limited time together, Thomas had already absorbed enough from Harden’s game to improve his own. “Before I even got here, I was already tapped in with watching James and knowing all his moves and stuff,” he explained. ”So yeah, that’s definitely someone I’ve studied and looked at to take things from.”
Cam Thomas #24 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles against James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the first half of Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Barclays Center on April 20, 2023 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
Harden isn’t the only star Cam Thomas learned from
In the same conversation with Draymond Green and Baron Davis, Cam Thomas also reflected on the other stars he had the chance to play with during his early years with the Brooklyn Nets, and what he admired of them. On Kyrie Irving, Thomas noted, “Kai, just his patience offensively. I mean, he don’t let nobody speed him up. I really try to take that, just not letting nobody speed me up, getting to my spots and just be able to make the shot at my spot.”
As for the other superstar on the Nets, Kevin Durant, Thomas admitted it was a bit more challenging to learn from the future Hall of Famer. “You can’t really learn much from K, because he’s like, seven feet, doing what he do. So it’s kinda hard to learn from him. I just watched like ‘Oh, K, that’s tough.’”
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Cam Thomas competing with the best
Playing alongside such high-caliber stars as James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant gave Cam Thomas a rare opportunity to refine his game. Now, at 23 years old, he’s showing the fruits of that experience. The 2024-25 season has so far been the best of his career, as he’s averaging 24.7 points per game (17th in the league), along with 3.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Thomas’s impressive play is solidifying his place as one of the rising stars in the NBA.
