But he was at the club THE SAME NIGHT of the game 6 loss, so this doesn't matter. Not a positive locker room presence. Needs to take the game more seriously.
Not one report about this nonsense during the season, and I am supposed to care he partied to get over a loss? Nope I don't blame him.
Been a Rocket fan since San Diego. Only post one or twice a season. Just my two cents. I am glad Harden is a Rocket. Have never cared for him outside of his play for the Rockets. Didn’t like ‘him’ at ASU or OKC. Nothing against his skills, he is a MVP. I do believe he does care to a degree. ALL athletes want to win. I can only assume by his actions he doesn’t give a **** about losing. And that’s my problem with him. Read anything about Jordan, Kobe, Bird and other greats. Losing tore these guys up. It drove them to be be better and kept them driven. This is not the first incident of Harden shrugging off a big loss by hitting the club. Dude, you got the rest of your life to hit the tittie bars. Give it a rest for a day or two and keep a low profile. Once the WCFs have started party all you want. Whether you legitimately feel it or not try and empathize with us fans. It sickens me to watch the Warriors. Actually, before Harden became a Rocket, I felt about him how I feel about the GSWs. OK, enough of my b****ing. Think I’ll head over to Baby Dolls. For all you non-Dallas residents it’s a nude joint (JK) In Morey we trust!!!!!
Again, I want to stress that I am agreeing with several things you say here. The "glitch" was certainly bigger this year than in other failures, but it has always been there. I disagree that LeBron and Durant have shown the level of passivity Harden has in the playoffs in these crucial moments, and won.) But again, winning and loosing, and championships are not really what I want to argue with you about, because I agree that other factors are at play there, too. I just wan't to see Harden be as aggressive in crucial playoff moments as he is in almost every other portion of his NBA life, and i'll live with the results. Specifically, this year it cost us our best shot at dethroning the dubs. It's unfortunate. The team did enough to put us right there. I just can't get over it. As far as appreciating Harden, maybe I should more, and I swear I tried like hell this season. Playoff failures outweigh regular season greatness to me.
But it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t steadily improved nearly every season here, especially the last 3. Seemed to add something to his game every offseason.
Grass is always greener on the other side I guess. I can't see anything Harden has done in the past as materially different than what the best players ever have also done. There is passivity (Lebron). There is selfishness (Kobe). There is inconsistency (Curry). There is lack of motivation (Barkley). There are chokers (Durant). There are people who don't elevate their team (Westbrook). There is inability to beat way more talented teams (Wilt). There is delayed basketball IQ (Hakeem). Harden is one of the worst superstars at one particular thing. He is one of the best at several things. If you can't appreciate Harden, just watch some highlights of the Jazz treating Donoval Mitchell like James Harden or Durant choking against the Warriors or Lebron pissing away Miami's first shot at a title. Or maybe watch one of the Warriors' 31 wins without Durant since he got there (they are 31-4 without him when Curry plays). I'm totally at peace with Harden. If he never changes, he will have given this team more than we're allowed to pay him.
If you're at peace with regular season greatness, and good, not great (and sometimes awful) postseason play, then harden is your guy, for sure. That's not my bar. The 73-9 pre Durant warriors were not present in the series. I can't get on bard with saying we didn't have all the capability to be the better team in this series. The difference between harden and the others besides Durant who took the easy way out, is that there was not the level of sheer unwillingness in crucial moments. I'm too young to be familiar with Barkley, and Lebron changed. Unwillingness to win is a different issue. I don't know where the "glitch" comes from, but it's different, at least a choker took his shot and missed, at least the inconsistent guy steps up in big moments, at least the guy overwhelmed by the other team's talent didn't stop playing. I don't think the "glitch" fits into these categories.
Nope, that's not what I'm at peace with. I'm at peace with 31/6.8/6.6 and excellent defense against a top 3 defense and a dynasty plus not having the mentality to take over with Durant out. He has what it takes to be 1 of 2 superstars on a champion. No one else in the NBA is better than that. We don't have that second star. There are MAYBE a few superstars in NBA history who could lead 1 borderline All Star, a 6th man of the year and 1 excellent role player to a title against this Warriors team. Harden is not one of those few guys. I'm extremely at peace with that, especially given none of those few guys are even in the NBA today. If Harden does the thing you want him to do, he would be the greatest player to have ever played the game. Scores like Jordan. Defensively sound. 7 assists. Rebounds like a forward. AND dominant when the best defenses in the NBA try to take him out of the game? Brings down a dynasty with these rosters? That's a greater single achievement than Jordan, Hakeem, Kareem, Magic, etc. If that's keeping you up, maybe time to rethink perspective.
NBA and athletes in general are notorious for these kinds of activities... perks of the business. Magic Johnson and Wilt Chaimberlain were no angels. Let the man take a vacation.
The idea that harden would have to have been "the greatest player of all time" to win either game 5 or 6. Lol, there is no way you could possibly believe that. He was awful for the most important stretches of both those games and we still almost won. Imagine if he was even an average version of what he normally is? I agree, he needs a player better than him to do the things he can't. You can't say the same about all those other greats you listed. Sure, they had better help, but they were the ones doing the high leverage work. They didn't put up great averages and then say "hey it's the fourth quarter, do your thing other guy." lol. Say what you want about the flaws of this team, but they did enough/ caught enough breaks to get to the point where Harden could have helped them win. He didn't. I've never been ok with your excusing the "glitch" pointing to averages. But at least now you acknowledge the glitch, a few years ago you didn't. So it seems your perspective is the one that is (slowly) changing.
I doubt a lot of Houstonians who have been die hard Rockets fans since the days of our last Championship felt like having fun and partying after the game 7 loss. It's different when you are Houston Proud and are so emotionally invested in rooting for our sports teams. It's different for a guy who grew up in California, and came here for big money. I really doubt he grew up a die hard Rockets fan growing up in California. Sure, he wants to win, and loves competing, but it's not the same kind of spirit and emotions we go through. Its business for him. Most of us were devestated and emotionally drained after that game, and crushed by the letdown once again. He did his job, then went out after a day's work to have fun. He has reaped his rewards, win or lose. Rockets salary, Adidas contract, money oozing out his pockets, and a club full of women who could care less that the Rockets loss. That kind of alters the emotional letdown James probably had compared to what most of us experienced. I bet our Houston players Green and House took it harder.
Some of you need to grow up. When someone has an opinion that differs from yours it is OK, it is called perspective. The fact that you resort to name calling and somehow know how hard I commit to my job is a clear sign of your immaturity and inability to cope with differing opinions. I think they have safe spaces for you where everyone is a winner and nobody will offer any other opinion that may offend you if it would make you feel better.
lol he's the best player in the NBA right now, and two of his "big three" were MIA for nearly the entirety of the conference semis. I'm cool with him drowning his sorrows in a couple drinks and boobs. He's earned it. At least he's not doing it the night BEFORE big games anymore.
For guys who witnessed Hakeem's games and I must say there is a time and life after every superstar. No biggie here.
How ironic a little b**** is crying like a snowflake that someone pointed out how stupid he is. How about this... Don't be stupid, stupid. Wise words from Philip Defranco. If you can't handle the heat get out the kitchen. When did texas become a whiny b**** fest? Dude someone called you stupid on the internet... My gosh the demons are running amongst us fire fire!
He definitely did not grow up a Houston fan. But my dude. Your post is insinuating you are more invested in the Rockets’ success than James Harden is. You care more. Do you have any idea how ridiculous that sounds? Just because you hurt after the loss doesn’t mean you’re more invested than he is. You just sit on your couch and watch them. What is it that he does for the Rockets? He has reaped the rewards, deservedly so. Maybe that’s why he’s able to enjoy life even after something bad happens (a loss). When something (relatively) bad happens to me, I tend to dwell on it and you probably won’t find me in the club. But I wish I’m able to move on that fast, it’s probably a healthy way to live.
Someone needs to just lock up this thread and throw it in the trash. This isn’t even news.. season over who cares what’s Harden doing. Only matters if he shows up fat and out of shape for training camp..
