Since being acquired by the Cleveland Cavaliers, 11-time All-Star James Harden has been prolific. While playing a vital role in helping the team secure a 138-113 win over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night, extending the team’s winning streak to three games since his arrival, Harden asserted himself as a key player in the team’s rotation.
Despite his effectiveness, James Harden is still criticized for demanding a trade from the Los Angeles Clippers. In light of his three trades in the last five years, such a statement may seem valid. Still, Harden recently addressed why loyalty itself is overrated in the NBA today.
“The whole quote-unquote loyalty thing is, I think, it’s overrated,” Harden stated. “I think this is a business at the end of the day, and it’s a lot of money involved, and a lot of decisions that have to be made.”
“If a player isn’t producing, or if you don’t see him in your future, or if the front office, some of them have to do a job and want to keep their job, so they feel like they have to do what’s best to keep their job, and they trade players.”
“It’s just so many different dynamics that go into it,” he continued. “It’s just a business at the end of the day. Not just the NBA, but people that have normal jobs have those same problems. They’re just not magnified.”
Apart from addressing the transactional and conditional relationship between management and players, James Harden also shed light on his personal approach toward such situations by adding:
“I don’t lose focus on trying to compete for a championship. And then, financially, making sure that my family is taken care of, you know what I mean? Because I’m very smart, and I’ve sacrificed a lot financially, which I don’t get credit for, that doesn’t get talked about. But I’m fulfilled, and I’m happy with it.”
Harden concluded by acknowledging that each side is simply doing what serves their interests, suggesting that players should not be unnecessarily criticized for prioritizing their gains.
James Harden has garnered some scrutiny for jumping ship, but the superstar guard has also made sacrifices to help the franchises he’s been a part of.
During his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers, Harden willingly declined a $47.4 million player option and took a $15 million pay cut to boost the team’s chances of contending. Since this didn’t yield much success for the 76ers, this was overlooked.
In a more recent case, Harden accepted a two-year, $81.5 million deal in the offseason (roughly a $15 million pay cut), which helped the Clippers make some key free agent signings.
In light of this, it can be argued that James Harden has done what was necessary to improve his team’s chances of winning. Although the results haven’t been the most favorable, it is difficult to underplay his desire to compete for a title.
Now, in Cleveland, James Harden may find himself in a solid position to contend. Considering that the Cavaliers (34-21) are currently 4th in the East and possess impressive roster strength, the Cavs could be making a late-season surge to maximize their title window.
