Harden: "Dwight and I are the cornerstones of the Rockets. The rest of the guys are role players..."

I've actually been told that before and it wasn't nice. I felt bad like I wanted to cry. I didn't because I'm a real man.

But Harden wasn't referring to anyone specifically. He was making a generalized statement concerning the loss of two players specifically.

If anything he was making a subtle stab at the former "employees" who might have thought they were "management" and not just replaceable pieces of a team.

 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>&quot;I don't think he meant anything derogatory. I don't think it's a secret he &amp; Dwight are cornerstones of the Rockets&quot;-Lin on Harden comments</p>&mdash; AdamWexlerCSN (@awexler) <a href="https://twitter.com/awexler/statuses/492375265700347904">July 24, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Thank You Lin

 

THIS. What has Harden done so far to earn himself the right to elevate himself like that? Dude is a laughing stock on defense and got his sorry ass shut down in the play-offs two seasons in a row.
Jordan and Hakeem could talk the talk because they have walked the walk. They led their respective by example on both sides of the court. They can call out and act ruthlessly towards others because they have the body of work to back them up. The onus is actually on others to give the same amount of effort as them.
We can now see the difference between the two cases: Jordan trashing his teammates is seen as him challenging them to step up and meet his standards of excellence while Harden is seen as belittling his teammates since he himself doesn't live up to expectations and any "real-talk" is interpreted as unadulterated self-aggrandizement. One is seen as "tough-love" team leadership and building while the other is outright douchebaggery

 

There you have it. Even Lin said it.

I doubt that comment affects anyone in the Rockets roster. They all know their roles or at least you would hope so.

 

You are sure Lin was not being passive aggressive? LOL.

Again, what James said is completely true, but really unnecessary. He gains absolutely nothing by saying it out loud.

There are much better ways to showcase confidence and leadership, like starting with "I" instead of "We" after a bad loss, for instance.

 

This is true. If anything, Harden (and Dwight) have gained the "it's on me" trait and responsibility. All will be well if they perform and succeed, but set themselves up for scorn if they fail and don't own up.

 

*sigh* This team is making it very hard for me to support them this year. Offseason gaffes by management and players dont help.

Winning is the only savior now.

 

Go find another team to root for, join their BBS, and annoy the hell out of them like you do us. Morey and Harden are not going anywhere anytime soon. Either get on board or kick rocks.

 

damn, i really hope this was taken out of context. I mean ...it's true, but you don't say that about your teammates. Poor choice of words on Harden's part. Very disappointing.

 

That is complete nonsense.
Kobe was not garbage defensively for most of his career. He has always been above average until he got old.

Defense is important. The best winners in the nba tend to be good defenders. Jordan, Duncan, Olajuwan, etc. Certainly none was a truly awful defender.

 

You'd rather have them get that "it's on me" trait because afterall it is on them. This team only goes as far as they take us, both individually and together.

But like you said, hope they can replicate such verbal bravado with performances on the court come playoff time

 

Being a fan does not require one to lose all objectivity or to have no opinion about a player, coach, management or the owner. I'm pretty sure no part of the rules of this forum says "must love all players and all management."

If you get annoyed at other people expressing opinion contrary to yours and think that they should leave becasuse of it, perhaps an internet discussion forum is not the best place for you-- unless acting annoyed at other people's posts and yelling at them is what you enjoy abut an internet discussion forum in the first place.

 

I am probably the last person in the world you should have asked this question to. I have had plenty of bosses tell me this very same thing. I have also told many companies that I have a main business and that when I am ready to leave I will leave and don't hold their breath about me staying there. That just the nature of my business I am in and many other people unfortunately. If you are not the CEO of a private company you can and will be replaced at some point. You are as valuable the desk or whatever piece of equipment you work on. Once that equipment wears out it will be disposed of and so will many employees. That just the nature of life. I am my own boss now with my own company so I don't have that problem anymore. But I am not that naive to understand that this doesn't still occur and won't still occur. So why would this be any different for basketball players? Especially when younger and more athletic players are drafted every year and are cheaper to pay.

 

God darnit I wish Harden worked as hard as Kobe. Kobe is old as dirt and has one leg but every other day I see a new article of him training for his return. All I see of Harden is strip club visits even after losses, him arguing with reporters and crap like this. Yes you are a franchise player and guess what you got your ass kicked in the playoffs. Why doesn't Harden want to be great? He plays for the money and that's fine but at what point in his career will he want more for himself? Kevin Durrant bust his ass every summer and it shows on the court, if that's his idol shouldn't he be trying to emulate his routine to replicate his success? I ******g love Harden, I'm happy he's a rocket because it got us Dwight and makes us legitimate but when will his intrinsic motivation kick in. When is he no longer going to be content with just getting numbers. He has the potential to be Kobe but at this rate of motivation he's capped his ceiling at Gilbert Arenas

 

Lin says it's OK. Lin fans retreat. /thread

 

Team has to actually win to be the public enemy. It's just extremely unlikable now.

 

Being a fan doesn't mean you bash them as many times as you can saying the same stuff over and over. We get it. You dont like Harden and his defense and Morey should not treat players like assets. Im sure Im not the only tired of you incessantly pushing the same agenda in every thread. New topic please!

 

Lin for the Nobel Peace Prize.

 

Again, I think it doesn't matter whether it's true or not, it's not something you say when you're trying to get people to give their everything to an endeavor. I've been on both sides of the coin, as the guy who's replaceable and the guy who's in charge of people who are replaceable. But diplomacy is a part of leadership, and it's just not a good idea to tell people they're presence and their effort is ultimately irrelevant. The best leaders make the ballboy feel he's an important part of the team.

 

The statement was mostly intended for the two individuals who didn't really want to be here, and the one who got butt-hurt over his stupid number.

Maybe his current teammates can take a lesson that their time as a Rocket can either be to help win a freaking championship or be selfish like Parsons, Lin, and Asik.

Classic s#*t or get off the toilet scenario.