Outgoing Rockets GM Daryl Morey: ‘James Harden changed my life’

“He not only transformed my life, but he also revolutionized the game of basketball… like almost no one has before,” Morey said of Harden.

In his farewell letter, GM Daryl Morey referred to his time with the Houston Rockets as “the most amazing 14 years of my life.”

While the Rockets didn’t win an NBA title in that span, they were a clear success story by almost any measure. They ranked No. 2 in the league in overall wins, and they currently have the NBA’s longest streak at eight consecutive playoff berths. They never had a losing season.

Though Morey has had a number of transactions to contribute to that success, one clearly is at the front, and it’s the October 2012 blockbuster trade that brought James Harden from Oklahoma City to Houston.

Since then, Harden has blossomed from the Sixth Man of the Year to an eight-time NBA All-Star and MVP. “The Beard” certainly deserves most of the credit, but the partnership between his brilliance and Morey’s analytics-driven system seemed to bring out the best in both men.

Here’s what Morey said about the Harden years in his farewell letter:

James Harden changed my life. An entire page could be dedicated just to James. He not only transformed my life, but he also revolutionized the game of basketball — and continues to do so — like almost no one has before. The game is played differently because of James, and on every playground in the world, the next generation of talent is studying and imitating his game.

I can’t believe I won’t be able to have another strategy session with James. I loved working together on how to get his incredible Hall of Fame teammates Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Russell Westbrook to the Rockets. I will be rooting for James to win a championship for Houston. It’s how this story should end.

Beginning with the upcoming 2020 offseason, that final championship push is what new GM Rafael Stone (who worked for many years in those strategy sessions with Morey and Harden) will be tasked with doing.

Over eight seasons in Houston, Harden has averaged 29.6 points (44.3% FG, 36.2% on 3-pointers), 7.7 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. After missing the playoffs in the three seasons prior to his arrival, the Rockets have made it all eight times since acquiring “The Beard.”

The future Hall of Famer is now the NBA’s three-time defending scoring champion, and he’s the only player to have been named to the All-NBA First Team in each of the last four seasons. With his latest honor, Harden tied Hakeem Olajuwon with the most First Team spots in franchise history.

[lawrence-related id=39403,38331]