James Harden had some interesting things to say about his costars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Last January, the talented shooting guard joined the Brooklyn Nets in a blockbuster deal that involved the Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Harden is confident he and his teammates can do the job in a stacked Eastern Conference ahead of his second season with the team. Playing alongside Durant and Irving should be easy, and Harden confirmed that with his praise for the two superstars.
In a recent conversation with Michael Shapiro of Sports Illustrated, The Beard had nothing but good things to say about KD and Ky. They had shared touches before and the short moments they spent together on the court proved that they could do great things with this team.
Talking about KD, Harden said the 2x NBA champion is continually working to reach the next level.
SI: You gained two notable costars this season. We’ll start with Kevin Durant. What do you enjoy about playing with him?
JH: Well, he’s really good. But in all seriousness, he’s as humble as they come. He works his butt off, and he works to be the best version of himself night in and night out. And one thing about him is he just really, really loves the game of basketball. A lot of guys just play because they’re tall or whatever the case may be, but he loves it. He plays basketball whenever and wherever. You can’t teach that.
When asked about Kyrie complimenting him on the backcourt, Harden also threw some flowers to the 2016 NBA champion. Given Irving’s talent, it’s easy to play alongside him and adapt to what the team needs him to do.
SI: With your other costar, Kyrie Irving, what makes him an effective backcourt complement to you?
JH: He’s just one of the most skilled players I’ve ever seen. The things he can do with the basketball, the way he can score from anywhere on the court, playing with a guy like him makes my job a lot easier. I can just go out there and be a playmaker and score when they actually need me to score.
Harden is convinced the Brooklyn Nets are in a great position to win it all next year. After a disappointing second-round exit in the 2021 NBA playoff, the New Yorkers are ready to bounce back and grab that NBA title.
James will try to do what he couldn’t in Oklahoma City and Houston. Truth be told, this Nets team is looking dangerous ahead of the 2021/22 season.
