With the Rockets on the verge of implosion, more of the toxic details concerning the culture and James Harden are continuing to emerge for the NBA community.
Regarding Harden’s ex-teammate, Chris Paul, Tim MacMahon recently revealed some details behind their partnership that could explain why it ended so prematurely.
(via ESPN)
One of Paul’s biggest beefs, sources said, was that Harden basically opted not to participate in the Rockets’ offense when the ball wasn’t in his hands, sometimes barely stepping over half court while spectating when Paul had the ball. Harden quickly tired of Paul barking about his concerns, which included lobbying coach Mike D’Antoni to implement more structure and movement in an offensive system that revolved around Harden’s isolations, sources said.
It seems like Harden wasn’t content when the ball wasn’t in his hands, checking out of the offense and refusing to comply with CP3. On the surface, it certainly appears like the same could be said for his dynamic with Russell Westbrook as well.
Despite being one of the best players in the game, James Harden’s track record with the Rockets has come with a lot of controversies. From Dwight Howard to Chris Paul and now Russell Westbrook, many star players have been exiled from Houston before achieving any sort of success.
Harden, who has been the center of a culture now being exposed as toxic, is struggling to keep the story contained.
Following another disappointing end to the 2019-20 campaign, Harden has stood firm in his trade request, seemingly ending an electrifying era for Houston. We’ll see soon enough how it all ends for both he and the Rockets.
