Harden's mother: "He is doing the best for his career...He is asking for a chance to get a ring”

It's the strip clubs.

 

I agree with you on all of this.

The reality is that the League Office and by proxy the owners have created this monster.

The players last year almost stopped the playoffs by just walking out.

The players have demanded that their political messaging be strongly incorporated into the league.

The players have been able to demand trades and not play until they are traded.

The players have been able to use fronts to essentially orchestrate super teams and circumvent the league rules.

The players sit out when they want to.

The players get to fire coaches.

The players were even discussing sitting out games to start this season.

ALL OF THIS WAS CREATED BY THE LEAGUE OFFICE AND OWNERS....

 

Sure thing buddy. 95 > 100, stop the steal!

 

I have no problems with Harden expressing to management that he'd like to play elsewhere. Every player has that right, as far as I'm concerned. But as long as he's under contract, he has to show up and earn the salary he's getting. It's pretty simple.

 

He has been a spoiled momma's boy all his life. His momma can't help him now, she knew as his agent what the contract stated. He can request a trade and still play. He has to be professional and meet Rockets halfway. Let the Nets get the assets. He has forced enough things around here. This is just a spoiled brat being a spoiled brat. Media saying he wants to come back and retire here? LOL Naw we good. Harden isn't useful as a franchise corner stone once he's passed his prime.

 

I’m rooting for coach Silas to get multiple rings, without James Edward Harden.

 

Told yall about James, his lifestyle and personality years ago. Most ppl don’t like him.

James is out.

 

To all Rockets Fans just enjoy the Game.

Whatever Harden does, it doesn't matter at this point.

The Rockets just need to add more talent on Free Agency, Draft or Trades.

If the Rockets can be similar to the 2004 Pistons that would be entertaining.

Maybe Bradley Beal becomes available.
Any player can become available during the Trade Deadline.

Wall and Bradley Beal in this Offense can be better.

 

5 lol ok Rockets MDA still never looked better than the 2000 Suns. Nash>Harden

 

Agreed

No he doesn't.

There are specific rules in the CBA, and the Rockets can exercise those rules to punish Harden if they choose to.

However, everyone knows that the Rockets will exercise those rule punishments.

The League Office has created a monster.

 

That second quote wasn't about legal ramifications but more out of principle. "If you get paid, work". He wasn't making claim regarding the legality of it.

 

30 teams in the NBA the one I root for is the most dysfunctional. Yes even more than the Knicks. Because of course.

 

It can be principle, but there is a CBA that has the rules by which both parties play by. The Rockets can and likely will fine him and not pay him if he does not actually show up. However, we both know the most likely scenario is that Harden shows up and plays or the Rockets trade him. Harden can withstand not being paid and being fined far better than the Rockets can seeing an asset depreciating in value. That fact is the reason that Harden isn't concerned.

 

While I agree that the players have a ton of power in the league, what about the agents? Why do the agents have so much power too? Is it because the players have so much power? Owners/teams can basically be blacklisted by certain agents just by not agreeing to their ridiculous demands. It all sounds so childish and unprofessional.

 

David Stern would never allow this, you forgot to mention the tampering

 

It's time to move on. It's a damn shame he never won a ring with us considering how much crap he was given by the media and how much he was screwed out of individual awards.

The James Harden era Rockets were never quite there. The whole era was plagued by toxic contracts limiting flexibility to put a more rounded set of players around Harden. Lin, Howard, Anderson, and on and on. The coaching was never up to snuff for what the team needed. Inflexible, non-creative, and little focus on defense. The system was set in place by the GM, and it consistently performed well in the regular season and consistently failed spectacularly in playoff games. And the acquisitions were actually rather experimental and all over the place. At one point, getting a dominant center was the laser focus, and we got Dwight. Then, two enormously-expensive point guards with Harden and Paul. And then, small ball all the way. James did incredible James things by himself in the midst of all this, and redefined a good chunk of the way the game was played while doing it. But he became an entire team unto himself, with coaches abrogating their responsibility to lead in favor of just letting James go out and be James. But James was not a leader like Hakeem. And Paul was never going to be able to take on that role as leader and true point guard, because of the system in place and the already-established star and consistent savior of the team, Harden. Plus, James' playoff play left a lot to be desired.

So many different combinations of factors around Harden were suboptimal. Few people, if any, are free of blame, including him. But we've seen this awkward dancing around greatness yet coming up short for 8 years now. It didn't work out, and nearly everybody involved is gone or worn out. It's time to just move on, even though we don't know where that will lead.

 

By him not playing? They know how good he is. Tilman isn't a Zillionaire though lol so he is cheap he is going to want something instead of being a man of principle and let him rot for 3 years in strip clubs while he sits out the rest his contract.

 

Not more than the knickers but getting close

 

It all is childish and unprofessional.

There are not "bright lines" anymore

 

That's right. If you are being contracted to do certain work, you have an obligation to fulfill your end of that deal. At a minimum, that means show up and do your job unless there is a health or other personal issue of some kind that warrants absence. Being disgruntled about how bad your team is doesn't cut it. You don't have to have a happy smile on your face or go above and beyond what other players are asked to do.