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Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort typically wears Adidas on the hardwood and has often laced up James Harden’s signature sneaker this season but the rookie hasn’t worn them during the NBA Playoffs.
And that, according to Dort, is by design.
Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report noticed the switch by Dort and asked him about the adjustment. Dort said that while he has a ton of respect for the former MVP, he couldn’t bring himself to wear his shoes with the Thunder facing him and the Houston Rockets in the first round of their playoff series.
After consulting with teammate Chris Paul, Dort ditched the shoes.
I noticed that OKC Lu Dort was always wearing James Harden shoes in the bubble
He hasn’t worn them once this series.
He said he has a ton of respect for James, but cant wear his shoes while also facing him in the playoffs. Says it was his decision but CP3 discussed it with him
— Taylor Rooks (@TaylorRooks) August 23, 2020
Dort and Harden are each Arizona State alums and have trained together in the past but the friendships off of the court take a backseat in the playoffs. Since Dort scrapped the Harden 4s on the court, he has gone with Damian Lillard’s signature shoe.
Dort played an integral role in the Thunder’s win over the Rockets on Saturday night. He only scored nine points and eight rebounds during the 119-107 overtime win but it was his defense on Harden that was his biggest contribution to the game.
Harden scored a game-high 38 points but struggled when guarded by Dort. With Dort as his primary defender, Harden managed just nine points and shot 2-of-14 from the field, including 1-of-9 from 3-point range, while he was blocked three times, according to NBA tracking data.
Dort has emerged as perhaps the Thunder’s best defender in only his rookie season and his ability to lock up Harden hasn’t gone unnoticed among fans, either.
Game 4 between the Thunder and Rockets is set for Monday at 4 p.m. ET.
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