Even in any case these years, James Harden feels the identical means about not having the ability to win the NBA Championship.
James Harden is without doubt one of the best gamers in NBA historical past. It is easy to neglect this truth given his decline up to now few years.
However even in his downsizing state, Harden is a star-level participant on this league. The legendary safety guard has achieved many in his profession, together with the 2018 MVP victory.
Nonetheless, his resume has one apparent absence, the NBA Championship. Harden spent his whole profession making an attempt to attain that purpose.
He reached the NBA Finals in 2012 with the traditionally nice Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder, however did not win the title on the time.
As a star, he spent his prime 12 months combating the unstoppable Golden State Warriors. These fights are why Harden hated warriors for a lot of his profession. However even at this level in his profession, successful the NBA championship is similar.
When he appeared at Fanatics Fest in New York Metropolis, James Harden created a panel with comic Druski and interacted with the followers current.
One fan caught Harden’s consideration and yelled at him to win the NBA Championship. Relatively than working bust the followers, Harden confirmed that he was nonetheless pursuing that purpose.
fan: “Win the championship!”
James Harden: “I will do it, I am doing it!”
Clearly, Harden needs to compete on the highest degree and win a championship earlier than he can deliver time to a legendary profession.
Harden is a free agent this summer season and will depart the LA Clippers, so it is a query of how he will get it and which groups are the issue.
Wanting again on his profession, James Harden had the most effective likelihood to compete for the NBA championship when he had a robust roster round him.
On the Thunder, Harden was successfully the sixth All-Star degree performer for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook after they reached the NBA Finals.
Whereas working with the Houston Rockets, Harden led his workforce to the Western Convention Finals whereas enjoying with Chris Paul, enjoying sturdy roles like Clint Capella and Austin Rivers.
However maybe essentially the most devastating disappointment got here from his time with the Brooklyn web. He, Durant and Kyrie Irving led one of many largest crimes in NBA historical past.
It was eradicated by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, inflicting accidents and poor timing to get in the best way.
Since then, Harden hasn’t been a part of a compelling roster competing for the championship, regardless of enjoying alongside Joel Embiid throughout his MVP season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
If the LA Clippers are severe about constructing rivals round Harden and Kawhi Leonard, they might want to take into account upgrading this offseason roster.
Brian Windhorst proposed commerce for Kevin Durant of the Clippers. However contemplating that the Clippers aren’t one of many stakeholders, that is unlikely to occur.
Regardless of the Clippers do, they cannot afford to waste the restricted window they’ve had with Leonard and Harden, so they should maximize the potential of their roster this offseason.
