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FILE – BROOKLYN, NY – JANUARY 23: James Harden, No. 13 of the Houston Rockets, shoots a free throw in a New York Knicks game on January 23, 2019 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler / NBAE via Getty Images)
NBA.com Staff Report
Star player James Harden wants to focus on the Rockets by the end of summer and fall, especially to adapt to new teammates such as Russell Westbrook.
According to a report by Jonathan Feigen in the Houston Chronicle on Friday (Saturday, PHL time), Harden informed the US team coach, Gregg Popovich, that he was retiring from the US. team that will represent the United States at the FIBA World Cup in China.
Speaking at an event Friday to donate shoes and other sporting goods to the children of the Greater Houston Police Activities League, Harden said he wanted to dedicate the rest of the off season to Rockets preparation.
Rockets teammates, P.J. Tucker and Eric Gordon, will both be training at Las Vegas from August 5th to 9th. Harden has already played for the US Olympic Basketball Team in 2012 and the 2014 World Cup.
Harden joins Anthony Davis as the second best player to retire from the US team over the past week.
The US team still has Damian Lillard, Kemba Walker and Bradley Beal, all-star program guards, among those who remain engaged.
The FIBA World Cup is scheduled from August 31 to September 7. 15 in China, and leave little time for players to start the NBA training camps.
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