Since leaving the Houston Rockets, many believe that James Harden has fallen off from his superstar status.
He has undoubtedly become the second-option player after forming a dynamic duo with Joel Embiid with the Philadelphia 76ers. But that doesn’t mean the Beard has lost his edge. In an exclusive interview with the Slam Magazine, Harden explained that is not the case and that he is a master of the game of basketball.
“I’m a master of this game. This is year 14 for me—I adjust to how teams guard us and pick and choose where to facilitate,” Harden said. “My role on the Sixers is different from 2017. So yes, the approach is different, but I’m still the same player as 2017, my role just changed slightly.
“It’s a combination of the work I put in each summer, getting healthy and trusting the work when I am on the court. I have been a student of the game and have been coachable throughout my career. This season, I have been tasked to be a leader on the court and to get everyone involved and still maintain my aggression. If I said it was easy, I’d be lying, but I am committed to do whatever I need to do in order to help my team win.”
Harden revealed the reason behind the dip in his numbers compared to five years or so is that his role has changed over the years.
Keeping that in mind, Harden may look like he is out of his prime. But that isn’t true as he helped the Philadelphia 76ers finish the 2022-23 NBA season as the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
James Harden On His All-Star Snub This Season
James Harden has created history after clinching the assists title this season. He became the first player ever to win three scoring titles and two assists titles.
Even after achieving this feat, Harden missed out on making it to the NBA All-Star game. In an interview, Harden revealed he felt it was a disrespectful act.
“I said it already, disrespectful!” Harden said. “Most of the people that understand basketball get my value, but some just get bored with my numbers.”
The Beard averaged 21.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 10.7 APG this season. These numbers should be enough for a player to feature in the NBA All-Star game. Unfortunately, that’s not what the media and the fans thought of Harden’s performance.
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