Where’s the beef? Antetokounmpo, Harden meet for first time in 2020

Sunday night’s game between the Rockets and Bucks is the first since a series of testy comments in February between the last two MVPs.

Sunday night’s game between the Rockets and Bucks at the NBA “bubble” is the first showdown in 2020 between Houston guard James Harden and Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, the league’s last two MVPs and the first and second-place finishers in a lively 2018-19 debate.

It’s also the first in-person meeting between the superstars since a series of targeted comments between the two in February.

February’s apparent drama started when Antetokounmpo, as the top fan vote-getter in the Eastern Conference, was drafting his All-Star team. Antetokounmpo picked Boston guard Kemba Walker over Harden, adding that he wanted “someone that can pass.” (It was a curious comment, since Harden averages 7.4 assists per game to Walker’s 4.9.)

Then, after the All-Star Game, “The Greek Freak” said his team’s strategy late in the game was to attack Harden. (It didn’t work, and it was another odd observation, since Harden grades out as an elite post defender.)

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“Offensively, we were just trying to find whoever James Harden was guarding,” Antetokounmpo said postgame. “That’s who we thought we’d have the opportunity to score on.”

Finally, during an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols that aired later that same month, “The Beard” clapped back in a big way.

“You do have people talking about some of the stereotypes that have blown up around you,” Nichols said. “Charles Barkley, when they had the All-Star draft, was saying ‘Oh, no one wants to take James Harden, he’s a dribbler.’ Giannis makes a joke on the air about I want to take someone who can pass, I’m taking Kemba Walker instead of James Harden.”

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Harden’s response:

Harden: I average more assists than him, I think.

Nichols: You rank 10th in assists going into the All-Star break, and Kemba ranked 36th in assists.

Harden: I don’t see what the joke is. But I didn’t even see it. I don’t pay attention to stuff like that. I just know that none of them can mess with me. [laughs]

From there, Harden’s criticism became even more direct in an apparent jab at the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo’s playing style.

“Daryl Morey, your general manager, had a great line to kind of address all of that,” Nichols said as the conversation continued. “He said, ‘Being different doesn’t really get appreciated until it works.'”

Harden: Yeah, when I’m done. When it’s all said and done, they’ll appreciate it more. But I wish I could just be 7-feet and run and just dunk. That takes no skill at all. [laughs] I’ve got to actually learn how to play basketball and have skill. I’ll take that any day.

Nichols: Do you think that in the end, a title is going to give you the respect that you deserve?

Harden: Yeah, it is. And I will get it.

Last offseason, in comments that may have rankled Antetokounmpo and/or those around him, Harden continually referred to the role of media narratives in the annual MVP selection process. Some around the league viewed that as an attempt to undermine Antetokounmpo’s win.

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More recently, there have been signs of the tensions starting to ease. When asked about Harden’s pointed comments, Antetokounmpo downplayed the situation and said he was just trying to do his job.

I’m not the type of guy to take stabs at somebody. … I’m just trying to do my job which is win games and go back home to my family. At the end of the day, if that’s what he believes that’s what he believes. I can’t say anything about it. I’ve just got to keep being focused.

In late March, Antetokounmpo even seemed to extend an olive branch when he identified Harden as the NBA’s hardest player to guard.

The Rockets and Bucks would have played on March 25 in Milwaukee, but that game was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Sunday in Florida is the first meeting between the stars since then.

Now 25 years old, Antetokounmpo is averaging 29.8 points (55.0% FG), 13.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game this season. Meanwhile, the 30-year-old Harden leads the NBA in scoring for a third consecutive year at 34.6 points, and he also tallies 7.4 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game.

Both are expected to finish in the top three of MVP voting this season.

Sunday’s tip-off between the Rockets (41-24) and Bucks (54-12) is set for 7:30 p.m. Central, with a regional broadcast (featuring Houston announcers) available on AT&T SportsNet Southwest and a national telecast on ABC. The game can be streamed via NBA League Pass, and subscribers to ESPN can also watch it through the ESPN App.

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