James Harden gets tribute video, mixed reception in return to Houston

Though the reaction from fans featured both cheers and boos, the Rockets aired a touching tribute video to celebrate Harden’s era.

In his first return visit since being traded to Brooklyn, former Houston star James Harden received a touching tribute video from the Rockets and plenty of cheers from the thousands in attendance at Toyota Center. For an All-Star and perennial MVP finalist who played eight-plus great seasons with the franchise, the love certainly felt appropriate.

Harden also, however, received a handful of boos — likely a product of the messy exit as he leveraged his way out of town, as well as the diminished on-court product left in his wake. Houston (11-22) entered Wednesday on a 12-game losing streak, which is the team’s longest in over 20 years.

In time, the good will almost certainly outweigh the bad. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has already pledged to retire Harden’s number to the rafters, once his NBA playing days are done. Wednesday’s tribute video showcased not only Harden’s brilliance on the court and Houston’s success as a team, having never missed the playoffs with Harden, but also his strong off-court efforts to give back to the community.

But for now, with Harden’s old team struggling and his forced exit less than two months old, emotions are raw. Here’s a look at the team’s tribute video, as well as the mixed reaction by fans to his introduction.

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