Good morning. Let’s basketball.
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James Harden has never struck me as someone who minded being a villain. Frankly, he has never struck me as someone who cared what anyone thinks, except when it comes time for vote for NBA MVP. (He does believe he deserves your vote for that honor, every year.) Harden steps back to the beat of his own drummer and exists in his own little corner of the basketball universe, which also helps explain why he seemingly turns on every co-star who arrives in Houston.
As he now reportedly wants to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, he is apparently flexing that villain muscle a little bit more. As ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reports, Harden was not eligible to attend the Rockets’ first group workout on Sunday because he had not followed the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols last week. And while new coach Stephen Silas (who had not spoken to Harden recently) expected Harden to attend an individual workout Sunday evening at the Rockets’ practice facility, The Beard ended up a no-show. Apparently he wasn’t even in Houston.
Meanwhile, there were videos and photos showing Harden unmasked at rapper Lil Baby’s birthday party in Atlanta last week. Up on top of this post is Harden mugging for a photo that ended up on Getty Images. There are also videos showing him throwing money at a strip club; however, I am unclear as to whether Lil Baby’s party was at a strip club. It could have just been a single trip out.
Meanwhile meanwhile, NBA players were supposed to quarantine last week and get tested three times in order to join training camp. Harden just … didn’t do that — he wasn’t even in Houston — and now he says he’ll be there soon. The Rockets’ first game is in 16 days.
These are the acts of an NBA star who a) doesn’t care who he angers, including his teammates who have (we assume) been playing by the rules and make a fraction of the salary Harden does, b) doesn’t care that he is making his new coach’s life hell, c) is reminding everyone in the party/club videos of how unbelievably wealthy he is, d) isn’t taking COVID-19 seriously and e) clearly doesn’t care what this looks like to fans of the Rockets or potential team suitors, probably because it doesn’t matter, because Rockets fans have no choice but to root for his success while he’s in Houston and team suitors know he’s an extraordinary player who can alter championship odds no questions asked.
To me, this looks like Harden being selfish and petulant. In the hands of a more skilled power dynamic practitioner, this could read like a shrewd move to support a trade request and make life uncomfortable for the franchise holding the keys to his future. But Harden’s specific choices undercut that, especially given the fact that Harden now says he’ll report soon. If it’s a power move, you force a sitdown with the franchise owner while “holding out” — you bring your rationale for the trade request to the table like an adult. That route wins you at least a little public (and fan) support in the name of player empowerment. Just ghosting the team and popping up a thousand miles away at a celebrity party, then saying you’ll report soon — what’s the purpose? What’s the objective?
The easy and probably correct answer is that there isn’t one: this adventure isn’t so much a power move to further Harden’s goals as it is a series of choices in which Harden does what makes him happy (party) and avoids that which frustrates him (the Rockets, the media). This is doubly frustrating since it’s such a missed opportunity. If you’re going to blow off the first week or so of training camp in an abbreviated offseason with a major new co-star arriving, at least do it in service of something greater. It’s not like it would be difficult to paint the franchise owner, Tilman Fertitta, like a villain if Harden wanted to bolster his effort to get out. If you really want a trade, be smarter! And try to show at least a little respect for Rockets fans as you try to orchestrate an exit.
Harden could very well show up in shape and have another MVP-caliber season as Silas and the Rockets try to make a new core of The Beard, Wall and Christian Wood work at a high level. Stranger things have happened in the NBA … hell, stranger things have happened in Houston. But I don’t imagine that strong play will result in Harden changing his mind, and I fear that his devil-may-care attitude this week might have poisoned his reputation — a reputation that already suffered in some ways fair, in some ways not.
Of course, this could all work out blissfully to Harden’s benefit: the Rockets could be so angry at his actions they could come to terms with this being the end and actually open up bidding for his services. Honestly, who could blame them?
Congratulations, then, to James Harden for another unprecedented accomplishment: he has made the Fertitta-era Houston Rockets deserving of sympathy. And they said it couldn’t be done.
Links
The New York Liberty won the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft for the second straight year. Meanwhile, Charli Collier might be the best WNBA prospect in college basketball.
The NBA is threatening real sanctions against teams and players that violate COVID-19 protocols, including fines and potential loss of draft picks.
A crushing piece from Jon Krawczynski in The Athletic on Karl-Anthony Towns’ year of loss. ($)
Mike Prada on John Collins’ task turning talent into wins.
Sports Illustrated named its Sportspersons of the Year honoring “the activist athlete” by picking five names, including LeBron James and Breanna Stewart. There are questions as to whether the activists SI picked are the most worthy, but instead of spouting off on that I’ll wait until there’s a good piece or two breaking down those arguments.
Kevin O’Connor deems Westbrook-Wall an act of total desperation.
An episode of SB Nation’s COLLAPSE on the Paul George era Indiana Pacers.
John Wall was really special to D.C. and Wizards fans, and how he left the team after being told he was traded to the Rockets really reflects that. As subscriber John R. wrote to me last week: “I don't think he got nearly enough credit for all of his charitable works and time given to the community here. He was a good dude that is too often defined by the rancid dog whistlers in the media - and to be honest, the Wizards never really had his back in challenging those narratives (other than writing very large checks to him, they really did very little for him, actually).”
Jason Quick in The Athletic on the happy marriage between Carmelo Anthony and the Blazers. ($)
The Blazers’ practice facility is closed due to three COVID-19 cases.
Marcus Thompson in The Athletic on how the Warriors can maximize Andrew Wiggins. ($)
In praise of the Spurs’ new Fiesta uniforms and new on-court vibes.
Speaking of city editions, you can see the whole collection here. Lots of hits this year, not many misses. Except Cleveland. I will never ever understand the rationale there. A ransom note with letters culled from rock bands not super relevant to the moment and definitely not relevant to the city of Cleveland outside the four walls of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?
Bwahaha Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton got Giannis Antetokounmpo pens for his birthday.
David Thorpe’s TrueHoop blueprint for the Knicks, Cavaliers and Bulls. ($)
Bryan Curtis on Dan Le Batard’s inevitable exit from ESPN.
Huh, The Athletic reports that the Celtics’ affiliate Maine Red Claws are opting out of the G League bubble. ($)
Masai Ujiri’s message on what humanity means.
Be excellent to each other.
