Nov 27, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) looks on during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
Cam Thomas Believes James Harden Has Had A Bigger Influence On His Generation Than Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry is one of the most influential players in NBA history, but Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas believes players of his generation looked up to James Harden more than him. During an appearance on The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, Thomas stated Harden changed the way individuals play basketball.
"I think we really gravitated toward James because James was doing the isos," Thomas said. "Like breaking people down one-on-one, scoring the 40s and 50s. I think Steph really changed the way teams wanted to play the game of basketball.
"Shooting the threes, moving around without the ball, I think Steph really changed the way teams around the league tried to play," Thomas stated. "James really changed the individual play. The isos, the handles, the stepbacks, the foul drawing, just all that stuff.
"I think James really changed the individual skill of how players wanted to play the game," Thomas continued. "Steph really changed the team culture. Everybody want to shoot threes now... If you can't shoot threes, you can't play.
"James and Steph are the two, for our generation, for the young guys, the one and two," Thomas added. "Credit to those guys for changing the game, but it's our time no for sure."
That's an interesting way to look at it. Harden's iso style certainly influenced Thomas. The 23-year-old thrives in isolation and uses that stepback to great effect too. He has become one of the best young scorers in the league, averaging 24.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game for the Nets in 2024-25.
I do think a lot more young players play the game the way Harden did as opposed to Curry. In fact, I don't think there are too many who play the way the Golden State Warriors icon has.
Sure, these players shoot a lot of threes but their style of play isn't like that of Curry's. He does so much damage off the ball with his movement and relocation, and you don't see too many youngsters play that brand of basketball. They, like Thomas, fell in love with and emulated Harden's style, for better or worse.
James Harden And Stephen Curry Are Still Going Strong
Harden and Curry were drafted all the way back in 2009 with the third and seventh picks respectively and are currently in their 16th seasons in the NBA. Despite being around for so long, they are still going strong.
Curry has averaged 22.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game for the Warriors in 2024-25. He has taken a bit of a backseat from a scoring standpoint but remains one of the deadliest marksmen in the league, shooting 44.4% from three.
Harden, meanwhile, has averaged 21.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game for the Los Angeles Clippers. He is one of the biggest reasons why the Clippers, who are 12-9 on the season, are staying afloat in Kawhi Leonard's absence.
Thomas, who is currently on the sidelines due to a hamstring injury, stated that it's now this generation's time to shine, but Curry and Harden aren't going to hand the baton over to them just yet. They still want to win, with Curry making it clear that he is greedy for a fifth championship.
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