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The James Harden saga in Houston has been so completely covered that there really isn’t much to learn about the end of his time with the Rockets. Between the videos on social media and reports from various media, we know everything from what Harden was doing in his spare time to the discussions going on at the Rockets front office.
However, we got new information on Monday, thanks to a report from Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of The Athletic, which details what happened just before the successful four-team trade that sent Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. Everyone is familiar with the now infamous press conference, in which Harden said the situation cannot be resolved.
Still, what wasn’t known was that right before that the Rockets had a tense team reunion where John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins demanded responsibility from Harden:
The group had had enough of the antics, tired of the headlines and constant questions about Harden’s state of mind and where it was all going. And with each day that Harden stayed in Houston, his presence grew heavier and heavier for a team that just wanted a sense of clarity and understanding.
During the meeting, which was chaired by Silas, and which sealed his decision to keep Harden out of the team’s subsequent activities until a trade was completed, sources claim that several teammates expressed their displeasure with the body language and Harden’s recent efforts. Silas had asked if anyone wanted to share his unfiltered opinions, and the dialogue about their dysfunction started from there.
John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins both spoke at the meeting, sources said, seeking a direct answer to Harden’s level of engagement and preaching about the importance of accountability. For those who had been with the Rockets when Westbrook preached the same message to anyone who wanted to listen, these uncomfortable dynamics were all too familiar.
It really isn’t that surprising. Harden clearly didn’t want to be in Houston, and between his preseason antics and playing on the floor, he didn’t seem to take the start of the season very seriously. In the last five games before the trade, he averaged just 17.4 points on 37.8% of the pitch, well below his usual standards.
Even when a player has as much star power as Harden, his teammates are only going to put up with it for so long. Especially when two of them are Wall and Cousins, who have each spent years fighting their way past serious injuries so they can replay.
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