I don’t agree with most of what you wrote... still, all I will ask you is when will the Rockets get another player that averages 35.5 points a game? A guy that over 600+ games has averaged 30/8/6/2/1? A guy that is arguably along with LeBron the most durable player in the league... a guy that busts his ass in the off season and at practice. This playoffs Harden averaged 30/8/7/2/1 with and EFG of like 56% and was excellent defensively while getting double and triple teamed. You aren’t getting another guy like that... improve the team.
You think if Kobe, Shaq, or Dream were offered $50 mil/year they’d leave? Of course not. Harden is gone and so is Westbrook. It’s done, blow this thing up, get picks, and hopefully by 2040 we’re a contender.
Okay, my bad. I misread this tweet: Westbrook is not happy with Harden having too much sway on the organization. It seems that the pattern is the lack of accountability for Harden that drove both CP3 and WB away. Anyway, Harden was a big part of getting Westbrook in the first place. And now he wants to bail when it doesn't work out. There is no evidence that Harden has tried any effort to salvage the Westbrook situation. He pretty much tacitly agreed that WB and him shouldn't play together and he now wants to play with Durant.
Olajuwon was accused of faking an injury and not playing by the Houston Rockets because of money. That is far worse than what Harden is being accused of.... yet Olajuwon had no choice but to play and the rest is history. Also Olajuwon wanted to go to Miami. You can try to draw distinctions but at the end of the day they are similar.
If this board was alive during the early 90s people would have been ready to write Dream off and discuss how Rony Seikaly could lead the Rockets to championships.
dude, 100% agree. I’m also better than Lebron James and Lavar Ball and would have 10 rings by now if I wasn’t too good for the NBA.
You said that Hakeem never asked to be traded to a specific team. That was incorrect. Do you disagree? Interesting that you characterize it as Hakeem "requested" a trade but say that Harden "demanded" one. how do you know what Harden has told the Rockets? There was a report that Harden was in for next year. Then there was a report that he'd requested a trade. Next the story that the Nets and Rockets had reached a verbal agreement. There were also stories that he wanted to go to Philly. We have no idea what Harden told the Rockets or what he will do. maybe see what he actually does before condemning him.
These guys would've been ready to burn "Empty Stats" Dream at the stake if they ever had to live through Choke City. "I wished we had Ewing or Zo, those guys were dogs".
Why are you calling Harden prima-donna. He isn’t a niece or a donut. anyway I don’t believe ALL the rumors about Harden. Plus I understand why he would have asked to be traded. And it’s been coming for some time since Tilman bought the team. yes Harden asked for Russ but if Tilman didn’t get involve that trade never would’ve happened. Tilman wanted to get rid of the “worst contract in the NBA”. And saw Russ as a younger, quicker & flashier player than Chris. He thought Russ was better than Chris. Harden probably recruited Chris but I feel that Morey is the one that wanted him more but they never were super close. I never wanted Russ and I wished we never traded Chris. However Chris had a terrible season, he looked bad, he looked slow and washed. His go to move or shots weren’t falling. So you can understand why Harden prob got frustrated. Chris got hurt in the playoffs, Harden carried the team that season and the next. A lot of people were shocked that cp3 played well last year. He did look way better before we traded him. He looked quicker and slimmer. So I was excited to see how he play that year. so IMO and what I have seen is that Harden got upset over all the trade rumors about Russ. He and Russ didn’t get any say on the gm or coach. Tilman was about to get JVG, who Harden didn’t want. Also Tilman is a cheap ass and never wants to pay more to improve the team. Morey left because of Tilman being so nosy and D’antoni also left because the org was a mess & kinda rude to him. Harden like both Daryl and Mike. And his buddy Russ was soon to be traded. Ofc he was upset and probably is still upset specially with the owner. That doesn’t make Harden a diva or whatever. He might not have a heart like Russ specially in the playoffs. But he has given us a lot and he has carried the team for so many year. Even with very little or no help he has made the Rockets better every season. He is durable and hasn’t complained much. also don’t believe everything you read or see specially from BSPN. Most of the noise was to devalue Harden. Also to make drama for the team and make it harder to sign FA. The trade was so close that Rockets never picked the phone from the Nets. The closer trade was for Russ but he was also upset about the way he was being handle. I’m pretty sure Harden will sign his extension. And we will have Russ and Harden next season. It will be the last season of them together if they can’t fit. And if it doesn’t work out I expect Russ to be traded before the deadline. But for now we will have them both. We are getting the right pieces. We need a couple more and to move Gordon and House. And I hope they make it work with the new vision of our new head coach, other coaches and gm. Also I hope Tilman just shuts up.
That's is exactly why championships exonerated stars...... It is also far too difficult to win a ship nowadays that all big markets are monopolizing top talents. Mediocre markets can only keep talents with Supermaxes and lip services. In the 80s and 90s asking for a trade was really not that common, well, it happened here.
but he didn't and what happened next was history. the best kind. maybe this will happen again for James. However, I don't like the forming super teams crap. Harden going to join KD, and Kyrie really doesn't make it a team based fan happy. we all know nobody cares about Brooklyn. It's just a team that was brought there by money not because of demand. The Knicks are always New York's team and the Lakers are always LA's team.
The Dream is a league of his own. In fact I became a Rockets fan because of him. He won the 1st Championship without any other all stars in the team. But we cannot undermine the contribution also of the Beard, not only in Houston but to the NBA. He revolutionized the game. And he played 100% for the Rockets every game. If it is true that he wants out, that’s his call but it’s also the right of the Rockets to make him play under his contract until a good deal comes along. And I’m sure he will still play 100%. Doing your best is what I teach my kids - Gab & Mischa
Oooooorrrr, rather than believing BSPN, Stephen A, First Take, and the host of hot takes out there, you could, I don't know, wait to see if any of it was true before turning your back on the player who has repped the Houston Rockets more than any other player since the championship years? I mean, he did call cap on IG.
