James Harden is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of his generation and he was recently asked how he would want to be remembered, once he walks away.
“That I was a winner, that I was a teacher,” Harden said. “That I had a different love for the game. I mean like, put the money aside, I really enjoy and love the game of basketball and playing it. Whether it’s being with the kids here or when I travel (to) other places in Europe, when I go to China, I just want people to understand how much I really love and enjoy the game of basketball.”
How does James Harden want his name to be remembered after his career? 🗣 pic.twitter.com/Nq33FrIaxN
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) June 3, 2024
While Harden might well be remembered as this individual who loved the game of basketball, I don’t think many would remember him as a winner. That might be unfair, but it is just the reality.
Harden has achieved a whole lot in his career. The 34-year-old has won an MVP, three scoring titles, and two assists titles. Harden, who has career averages of 24.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, is also a 10-time All-Star and made the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
All that is incredibly impressive, but there is one thing missing from that resume, a championship. It would be one thing if Harden had just balled out over the years in the postseason and come up short, but that hasn’t been the case. He has gone missing in a fair few critical playoff games and has developed a bit of a reputation for being a choker.
For a few months this season, it seemed like Harden had a great chance at winning his first championship, as his Los Angeles Clippers were on an absolute tear. The Clippers cooled down toward the end of the campaign, though, and then Kawhi Leonard got injured.
We saw the good and the bad when it came to Harden in the 2024 playoffs. He had a 33-point outing in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks to tie things up at 2-2, but then scored 23 combined in the next two games as the Clippers lost the series in six.
That’s been a bit of a theme when it comes to Harden. There have been moments of brilliance, but he has followed them up with disappearing acts. Unfortunately for Harden, people tend to remember the lows a lot more than the highs when it comes to him.
James Harden Thinks He Is Underrated And Misunderstood
While at the Adidas Eurocamp, Harden also sat down for an interview with HoopsHype. He engaged in some word association questions at the end and named himself for underrated and misunderstood.
James Harden to HoopsHype at the adidas Eurocamp: pic.twitter.com/IT8c8L6vW5
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) June 3, 2024
Is Harden underrated? I suppose you could make that case, as players just don’t get the respect they might deserve if they haven’t won a championship. Had he just managed to get over the line once, Harden would be looked at very differently today.
As for him being misunderstood, Harden might be referring to being viewed as a quitter because of how often he has asked to be traded. He has handed in three trade requests over the years and I can’t think of too many others who have done that.
Harden also went with Michael Jordan when it came to legend, but that’s not who he considers to be his GOAT.
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