James Harden’s detractors will point to the messy break-up with the Rockets as an example of a me-first superstar putting himself before his teammates and the franchise that bent over backward for him.
His supporters will say it was Harden feeling the clock ticking on his prime and his desperation to win a ring wearing on him.
His critics will cite his hard-partying ways as a sign of his immaturity. His backers will say he’s a well-to-do single man enjoying the fruits of his labor, and that his nightlife has never interfered with basketball.
His detractors will bring up his shortcomings in big playoff moments as proof his ball-dominant style doesn’t ultimately work. His supporters will point out he’s never been surrounded by the elite talent LeBron James, Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry have enjoyed in their championship seasons.
You either hate the newest Nets star or love him. He’s polarizing. An eight-time All-Star, two-time gold medalist and three-time scoring champion who has finished in the top three of the MVP voting each of the past four seasons.
“He does things his way,” close friend and high school teammate Greg Howell said. “He only knows how to be James.”
That could mean having his mother, Monja Willis, represent him for nearly two years. Or not conforming by settling down at the age most NBA stars do. Being bluntly honest recently about the Rockets, saying they weren’t good enough to win a title. Growing a beard that has become as much a part of his image as his dribble-heavy isolation game. Bringing his childhood friends along for this ride to stardom.
The negative narratives don’t seem to bother Harden. He’s gotten this far by being himself.
“I don’t know that he cares,” said Scott Pera — his coach at Artesia High School in Lakewood, Calif., who has remained close to Harden. “He doesn’t feel the need to explain what he’s doing or why he’s doing it.”
The 31-year-old Harden’s social life is almost as heavily debated as his game. He once dated Khloe Kardashian. ESPN reported there were a different set of rules for Harden with the Rockets, that he frequently would use multiple off days during the season to party in another city, and the team would stay overnight after a game so he could go out. He was seen partying maskless during the pandemic, violating the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols.
Howell, who has spent time living with Harden, said he believes it is all “over-magnified.” That he doesn’t go out any more than other stars do. That his friend has become an easy target.
“They took the persona and they ran with it,” said Howell, a video coordinator for the Rice University basketball team.
Jason Terry, a teammate of Harden’s for two years with the Rockets, never saw it hinder him on the court. If anything, Terry said, he brought the team closer together by organizing nights out. Harden liked to have a good time, and also understood the importance of team bonding and camaraderie over a long season.
“I just think he’s misunderstood,” said Terry, who is now an assistant coach at the University of Arizona. “I know those same guys who have won those championships, and they enjoyed themselves as well in the same fashion as James.”
Just ask John Lucas, a player development coach for the Rockets. He never saw an issue with it, saying Harden has the ability to compartmentalize different facets of his life. At a time when load management — healthy star players sitting out games to rest — has become such a big part of the game, Harden always is on the court. He will fight coaches to practice. He will play injured. In the past six years, he’s missed just 20 games.
“He’s addicted to basketball,” Lucas said.
Those familiar with Harden rave about his loyalty. They talk about his desire to give to others and the time he spends in the community that goes unreported. His AAU coach Dana Pump called him a “mensch.” Harden once gave him a game-worn jersey off his back to sell to raise money for Pump’s wife’s foundation.
His inner circle is comprised almost completely of childhood friends. His business manager, Lorenzo McCloud, was his high school teammate. He promised Pera he would follow him in college and followed through, attending Arizona State over the likes of UCLA and Arizona. He’s a hero to Pera’s daughters, frequently getting them front-row seats to Rockets games and taking photos with them
“My daughters are heroes at their little school,” Pera said. “They know James Harden.”
Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was applauded for his Hurricane Harvey efforts, his relief fund helping to rebuild more than 1,100 homes. But Harden also contributed. He gave $1 million for relief efforts but kept it quiet until Mayor Sylvester Turner announced it unknown to him. He started an AAU team in his name and has a foundation, 3TheHardenWay, run by his mother that helps in the Houston community.
“He’s not trying to prove himself to anybody,” Howell said.
Harden wasn’t a big star entering high school. He wasn’t highly ranked. He had good instincts and a quality stationary jump shot, but he didn’t put up whopping numbers as an underclassman. Pera wasn’t convinced he was a high major prospect until midway through his junior year. Artesia High School had just suffered its first loss to Lawrence North (Ind.), a team that was led by Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. Pera sat down Harden. You have to shoot more, he told him.
“It makes everybody laugh now when I tell the story, but it’s the truth,” he said. “He was the most unselfish player I ever coached — to a fault.”
Harden started to shoot more, all right, shooting Artesia to a state championship that year, exploding into a huge recruit. He just kept getting better. He was a sponge. To this day, Pera is still in awe of how fast of a learner Harden was. He could grasp new concepts almost immediately.
At Arizona State, Harden just kept improving, just as he had in high school. He led the Sun Devils to consecutive 20-win seasons and was a consensus All-American, averaging 20.1 points as a sophomore before getting taken third overall in the 2009 draft by the Thunder.
Herb Sendek, Harden’s coach at Arizona State, echoed Pera, saying Harden was extremely unselfish. He recalled one win at Oregon State when Harden was trapped every time he touched the ball. He racked up eight assists that night.
“He was as happy as if he had scored a lot of points,” Sendek said.
Harden’s next step is intriguing. For the first time in his career, he will be surrounded by superstars, teaming with Durant and Kyrie Irving. Terry can see all three averaging 30 points per game. Lucas believes Harden will lead the Nets in assists and his point totals will fall. Howell is convinced his friend will play the right way, that his days of taking 40 shots to score 40 points are over. There will be adjustments, of course. There will be bumps in the road.
“He’s on a big stage now with other superstars. He can’t turn back,” Pump said. “He has to figure out how to make this work.”
Harden has won everywhere he’s been. He won two championships in high school. He led Arizona State to the NCAA Tournament. He never had a losing season in Oklahoma City or Houston, reaching the NBA Finals once and the Western Conference finals four times. But he’s never been in a position like this before.
“Now he definitely has the team and the guys to ride with him that give him a realistic shot to win it all,” Terry said.
Don’t expect Harden to change. The perception of who he is, however, might.