James Harden wants to be remembered as a winner, but that’s going to be a tough sell for Clippers star

Getty Images

James Harden has done just about everything an NBA player can do. He’s won an MVP, a Sixth Man of the Year award, three scoring titles and two assist titles. He’s an Olympic gold medalist, a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team and the sixth highest-paid player in NBA history. The one thing Harden hasn’t done in the NBA? Win the big one.

So when he was asked how he wants to be remembered as an NBA player, that made his response a tad surprising. “That I was a winner, that I was a teacher,” Harden said in a recent interview, according to BasketNews, when asked about his legacy. “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.”

Harden’s love of the game can’t really be questioned. You don’t succeed at the level that he has without that. Hearing him say the words “put the money aside” is a tougher sell considering all of the drama that followed Philadelphia’s decision not to give him a hefty contract extension last offseason, but in fairness to Harden, he did accept less than the max in 2022 to help the 76ers sign PJ Tucker and Danuel House Jr.

But remembering Harden as a winner? It’s hard to imagine that will be the first thing to come to anyone’s mind when looking back on his historic career. This isn’t to suggest that a player necessarily needs to win a championship to be remembered as a winner. Nobody would question, say, Chris Paul or Charles Barkley as winners.

But time and time again, Harden has disappeared in the biggest moments of the postseason. Here’s an incomplete list of postseason disasters he was involved in:

Harden shot just 37.5% from the floor in his lone trip…


Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/james-harden-wants-to-be-remembered-as-a-winner-but-thats-going-to-be-a-tough-sell-for-clippers-star/

Author : Sam Quinn

Publish date : 2024-06-04 16:41:13

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.