It seems James in most situations is a lightning rod for people’s opinions, primarily the media’s. “It’s kind of the life all of us are in right now. The noise, he does a great job of tuning out.
He is only concerned about winning and getting to the next level. “I will say he takes his profession and his obligation to our organization and fans incredibly seriously. “James and I talk about everything,” said Rockets president Tad Brown, a frequent confidant and adviser, when asked if they had discussed how Harden is perceived. But he has discussed it.įriday's Houston high school football roundup Ignoring them is a talent developed over time, with the sort of repetition that allowed him to make step-back 3s shot at a rim he could barely see. Harden is aware of the examinations and debates his play inspires. When he breaks through and gets it (the championship), it all goes away.
“We get used to (Harden’s record-setting production). “If he just plays good, real good, it’s not good enough for whatever reason,” Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni said.
For Harden, who has come up short, sometimes in spectacular defeats, every postseason, every series and most playoff games are treated as a referendum on his excellence. Yet Curry’s team is up 2-0, and his reduced production barely has been noticed.Ĭhampionships offer the ultimate rebuttal to all arguments and end most of them. Stephen Curry has averaged 19 points per game, 13 fewer than Harden. Yet Durant, after a sensational first-round run, is viewed as having been dominant, Harden as struggling. Harden and Warriors star Kevin Durant have scored the same number of points in each of the first two games on the same number of shots, with Harden averaging more rebounds and assists. Others in that position, especially in this Western Conference semifinal series, do not draw the same sort of evaluation. Until you’ve been in this position, you won’t understand it.” People are always going to have something to say, good and bad. “That’s one of the best parts about being in this situation. “I don’t really pay attention to it, honestly,” Harden said. Harden rewrote much of the NBA record book this season, but he was a polarizing figure long before his second scoring championship, 30-point scoring streak or nine 50-point games. That comes to players who break records before winning championships. Harden is far from alone in carrying so much of his franchise’s fate, but he inspires unusual levels of scrutiny regarding his worthiness to hold a place among basketball’s greats. I wouldn’t (expect) anyone who hasn’t been in this position or doesn’t have the world on their shoulders to get it.” “If you’ve never been in that situation before or what it feels like, I can’t give you that. “I mean, how can I explain this?” Harden said. At this point, he cannot begin to explain it, perhaps even to himself. He didn’t think about it because he did not have to. Harden has carried them for so long that there was no question in his mind he would return to Game 2 and try to make it his. The burden of responsibility and expectation is never lifted from his shoulders. But if Harden would not give any of that a consideration while pacing in front of the bench in Oakland, waiting anxiously and impatiently for the call to return to the game, he certainly would not on a workday morning at Toyota Center. Nothing he has done or would do when he returned to the floor Tuesday night would change that.