James Harden faces legacy-defining stint in Philadelphia
James Harden is a superstar –– who has played with his fair share of superstars.
All the buzz over the past 24 hours has been about the swap that sent Harden out of Brooklyn and on his way to Philadelphia in exchange for Ben Simmons and a few other pieces.
And with the trade, Harden now finds himself in the building with another (potential) Hall of Famer in Joel Embiid, who joins Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Kyrie Irving as (potential) Hall of Famers who have played alongside "The Beard."
If Harden doesn't win a title with Embiid, will his legacy be tarnished?
On Friday, Chris Broussard argued that it is in danger of receiving a major blemish.
"We all know about Harden being one of those great players that doesn't have a championship, but when you look at the guys that he's played with now, the list is growing and it's tremendous."
Now in his 13th NBA season, Harden has played with either Durant, Westbrook, Paul, Howard or Irving in all but two of those years. During his first season in Houston (2012-13), Harden led the Houston Rockets to a 45-37 record, losing in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
That year, he averaged 25.9 points, 5.8 assists and 4.9 rebounds, shooting 43.8% from the field and 36.8% from 3. He was named an All-Star for the first time and was also a third-team All-NBA selection.
Harden played without one of those five names again in 2016-17, leading Houston to a 55-27 record. They fell in the Western Conference semifinals, and that season, he put up 29.1 PPG, 11.2 APG and 8.1 RPG on 44.0% shooting from the field and 34.7% shooting from 3.
He led the league in assists that year and was named first-team All-NBA and an All-Star. It was only the third season in NBA history in which a player averaged 29-plus points, 11-plus assists and eight-plus rebounds (Oscar Robertson did it twice).
Across the course of his career, Harden has won an MVP, is a nine-time All-Star and three-time scoring champion, and was named to the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.
Still, a ring evades him, even with such stellar talent on his side.
In three seasons with Durant and Westbrook in Oklahoma City, the Thunder lost in the Western Conference first-round, Western Conference finals and NBA Finals. In three seasons with Howard in Houston, the Rockets lost in the Western Conference first-round twice and the Western Conference finals.
Then, in two seasons with Paul, Harden and the Rockets lost in the Western Conference finals and semifinals. In a single season with Westbrook in Houston, Harden's Rockets lost in the Western Conference first-round.
In his first season with Brooklyn, Harden, alongside Durant and Irving, lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"There are serious questions now about whether or not James Harden has the fortitude and the resilience to win a championship," said Broussard of Harden, who asked out of Houston and has not asked out of Brooklyn. "… It is so difficult to fight through four seven-game series and win a championship. … And when the going has gotten tough, he has left."
It appears that points, assists and MVPs are a thing of the past for "The Beard."
All that matters is the ring.
