Tag: Harden MVP

Today in 2012: Rockets acquire James Harden from Thunder

It was October 27, 2012, when Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey agreed to one of the most impactful trades in the history of the NBA.

It was October 27, 2012, when the Houston Rockets agreed to one of the most impactful trades in the history of the NBA.

In that transaction, the Rockets acquired James Harden, Daequan Cook, Cole Aldrich, and Lazar Hayward from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first-round draft picks (which became Steven Adams in 2013 and Mitch McGary in 2014), and a second-round pick (which became Álex Abrines in 2013).

Knowing what we know now, it was a small price to pay to acquire one of this era’s transcendent superstars. Since 2012, Harden has blossomed from a Sixth Man of the Year with the Thunder to a perennial All-Star and MVP candidate in Houston. Among his many accolades:

  • Harden leads the NBA in total points since 2012-13.
  • He’s eight-for-eight in All-Star appearances since the trade, and the Rockets have made the NBA playoffs in all eight seasons after missing out in the previous three without Harden. (Houston now has the NBA’s longest active playoff streak.)
  • He’s the only player to be an MVP finalist in each season since the “finalists” format began in 2016-17. (This includes his 2018 win.)
  • Harden is the only player to make the All-NBA First Team in each of the last four seasons.
  • He’s the three-time defending NBA scoring champion. Since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976, Harden is just the fourth player to win the scoring title in three straight years, joining Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, and George Gervin.
  • Harden is just the third player in league history to have averaged more than 34 points per game in multiple seasons, joining a pair of Basketball Hall of Famers in Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

The Harden trade was only possible because the Thunder weren’t willing to offer the full max salary to Harden at the time, and they didn’t want to risk losing him for nothing in free agency the next offseason. Rockets GM Daryl Morey believed in the 23-year-old prospect and was willing to make the offer that Oklahoma City wouldn’t, and the rest is history.

Eight years later, as part of Morey’s recent farewell letter to Houston, here’s what the veteran GM wrote about his future Hall of Famer:

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.

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. He’s led his team to the playoffs in all eight years, including a top-four seed in the loaded Western Conference in six of the last seven years.

With his latest selection to the All-NBA First Team, Harden tied Hakeem Olajuwon for the most total First Team spots (6) in franchise history.

See below for highlights from Harden’s first game with the Rockets, which occurred on Oct. 31, 2012 — only a few days after the historic trade. With only minimal practice time under his belt with new teammates, Harden had 37 points (56% shooting), 12 assists, and four steals while dragging his team to a surprising victory in Detroit. With the benefit of hindsight, it was a clear sign of what was to come for Harden and the Rockets.

[lawrence-related id=39409,39475]

Stephen A. Smith believes Rockets have an ‘icon’ in James Harden

“I’m not trading James Harden,” Smith said. “I’m holding onto him for dear life, because the brother is too special. Harden is an icon.”

ESPN host Stephen A. Smith said Wednesday that he views James Harden as an “icon,” adding that the 6-foot-5 guard shouldn’t be traded by the Houston Rockets under any circumstances.

On Wednesday’s First Take, Smith and Kellerman discussed the previous day’s comments by Houston owner Tilman Fertitta that the Rockets would not “blow up the roster” this offseason.

While the Rockets have an All-Star backcourt of Harden and Russell Westbrook, both are now 31 years old, and the team has exited in the second round of the Western Conference playoffs for two straight years. That age is beyond the usual NBA range in which internal growth often occurs, leading some to wonder if Houston might consider big changes.

Though Smith left the door open to potentially trading Westbrook, he firmly said that moving Harden is not an option. Among his comments:

The brother just finished averaging 34 [points per game]. He averaged 36 the year before. He’s a league MVP. He’s been a top-two candidate for MVP honors on at least three separate occasions. This brother is something. Offensively, he is a magician with that basketball. …

I’m not trading James Harden. I’m holding onto him for dear life, because the brother is too special. You’ve got to get the right coach, and it has to be a coach that could get Russell Westbrook’s personality to modify just a touch. Or, you’ve got to be willing to move [Westbrook] to get some other parts to pair with James Harden. Harden is an icon, to me.

Kellerman asked if Smith would hypothetically trade Harden for Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has won the NBA’s last two MVP awards. The 25-year-old forward is entering the last year of his current contract, which has led some to wonder whether the Bucks might consider moving him — if they’re told that he would not re-sign.

But even considering the age gap, Smith said that from a Houston perspective, he wouldn’t do it. The full segment can be watched below.

[lawrence-related id=39457,39438]

 

James Harden dominates second half of Rockets’ playoff opener

Harden scored 22 of his game-high 37 points in the second half, shooting 80% for the half as the Rockets held off each Thunder run.

All-Star guard and MVP finalist James Harden led the Rockets with 37 points in Houston’s dominant Game 1 win to start the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs, and he saved his best for when it mattered most.

Harden connected on 8-of-10 shots (80%) to score 22 second-half points, including 4-of-6 on 3-pointers (66.7%). Each time it seemed Oklahoma City might be poised for a run to creep back into the game, Harden typically had the answer. In Houston’s 123-108 victory (box score), the Thunder never came within single digits in Tuesday’s second half.

“Our ball movement tonight was excellent,” Harden said postgame. “We were just playing off the catch. Guys were just very confident in their shots. I think we had a lot of opportunities that we missed that were really good shots. We did a really good job of not turning the basketball over, which would’ve gave them opportunities to get out in transition.”

Harden had shot just 4-of-12 (33.3%) in the first half.

Harden also led the undersized Rockets with 11 rebounds, and the presence of Jeff Green (22 points, +28 in 32 minutes) as a secondary playmaker — especially in the absence of injured co-star Russell Westbrook — may have helped Harden conserve energy. That extra energy was evident in Harden’s efficiency (54.5% overall shooting, 46.2% on 3-pointers), and with his efforts on defense and rebounding.

“It’s huge for us,” Harden said of Green’s ball-handling ability. “Now I don’t have to just dribble the basketball up. Those guards can kind of pressure me. He’s able to dribble the ball up and get us in our offense.”

With the 6-foot-8 Green as a smaller, versatile center, Harden credits Houston’s unique lineup with its success. He explained after Game 1:

Eric [Gordon] is able to do that, Austin [Rivers] is able to do that. We have a lot of guys who are able to dribble the basketball up. That’s the beauty of being small. As long as that basketball is hopping around and guys are getting driving lanes and open shots, we’ll live with the results.

Led by Harden, the Rockets were the NBA’s No. 2 scoring offense all season, and they were the No. 1 team in pace since the league’s July restart at the Disney World “bubble” in Florida. However, they were in the middle of the pack in net rating on defense. Moving forward, Harden is prioritizing that end of the court as Houston pursues a championship run.

Regarding defense and rebounding, Harden said:

It all starts with what I keep referring to with our defense. Offensively, even these past few games while we were in the bubble, we had the number one pace. Our speed and tempo is pretty solid. We’re going to have to rely on our rebounding, our defensive intensity, and our communication to be able to generate easier shots.

Obviously when our half court offense gets set, we can get pretty good shots off. I think in order for us to get even better shots, it’s going to have to be in transition — which I think we did a pretty good job of tonight.

Harden’s complete Game 1 highlight package can be viewed below.

Game 2 between the Rockets and Thunder will tip off at 2:30 p.m. Central time on Thursday afternoon. It will be televised nationally on ESPN and regionally on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

[lawrence-related id=36481]

James Harden striving to become one of NBA’s best players ever

“When it’s all said and done, I want to be one of the best basketball players to ever touch a basketball,” Harden said at Monday’s practice.

Coming off a third straight NBA scoring title and recently named an MVP finalist for a fourth straight year, Houston Rockets star James Harden knows his name is close to being up there with all-time basketball greats.

He’s only the fourth player (joining Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, and George Gervin) since the NBA/ABA merger in 1976 to win three straight scoring championships. He’s just the third player in league history to average more than 34 points per game in multiple seasons, joining a pair of legendary Hall of Famers in Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.

Now 30 years old, the eight-time NBA All-Star is also just the third player in league history to lead the league in total points and steals in the same season, joining Jordan and Allen Iverson.

[lawrence-related id=36207]

Harden is still, however, searching for his first team championship. So when asked before Monday’s practice about his latest individual honors, he was careful to put them within the bigger picture. His comments:

It’s a great accomplishment. I can never take things like this for granted. I play basketball and work my butt off for individual and team accomplishments. At the end of the day, when it’s all said and done, I want to be one of the best basketball players to ever touch a basketball.

We’re definitely heading on the right steps, but I also know I have a long way to go, and a lot of work to put in. I’m humble enough and ready to put that work in. Obviously, it’s a great accomplishment, but we have bigger dreams and a bigger picture to fulfill.

Including this season, Harden has now earned All-Star honors in all eight of his seasons with the Rockets, and he’s finished in the top three of the league’s MVP voting on five separate occasions during those eight years (2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020). He won the award in 2018. “The Beard” is also eight-for-eight in playoff appearances during that run, which makes for the longest active streak of any NBA team.

[lawrence-related id=36193]

Harden and the Rockets are still searching for their first championship together, and their 2020 playoff run is set to begin Tuesday with a first-round series against Oklahoma City, his original NBA team. Game 1 between the Rockets and Thunder will tip off at 5:30 p.m. Central, with a national broadcast on TNT and a regional version (with Houston announcers) on AT&T SportsNet Southwest.

[lawrence-related id=36260,36254]

Jayson Tatum doubles down on Harden as deserving 2019 MVP

When pressed by ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, Tatum explained why he thinks James Harden was the deserving 2019 MVP over Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In a new appearance on ESPN‘s The Jump, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum stood by his recent opinion that Houston Rockets guard James Harden deserved to win the NBA’s 2018-19 MVP award.

While acknowledging that Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (who won the media-voted award) also had a deserving case, Tatum told Rachel Nichols why he’s sticking with Harden as his choice.

You were splitting hairs last year in choosing between those two. I don’t think there’s a wrong case, but to me, it’s James Harden.

When he scored 30 for like 42 games in a row or something like that… Chris Paul was hurt a lot, and they were dealing with a lot of injuries.

It’s just, what he was doing was pretty remarkable.

Tatum’s recollection of Harden’s streak was slightly exaggerated, but not by much. Starting in December 2018, the league’s 2017-18 MVP scored 30 or more points in 32 consecutive games, which remains the second-longest streak in NBA history. That stretch helped the Rockets go 42-15 over their final 57 games of the season, which was the best of any Western Conference team over that span.

In all, Harden averaged a career-high 36.1 points last season, along with 7.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds. That 36.1 total represents the most points per game by any NBA player since Hall of Famer Michael Jordan averaged 37.1 more than 30 years ago, back in the 1986-87 season.

Meawhile, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 blocks. The “Greek Freak” led the Bucks (60-22) to the league’s best record, and he made the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Both Antetokounmpo and Harden were named to the All-NBA First Team.

[lawrence-related id=27979,27443]

Since the calendar flipped to 2018, Harden’s Rockets have won all five head-to-head meetings against Tatum’s Celtics, including an overtime thriller on Feb. 29 in the most recent matchup. Tatum led Boston with 32 points and 13 rebounds, but a clutch steal by Harden in the final 30 seconds followed by a pair of free throws were ultimately the difference.

In a home game earlier that same month, Harden led the Rockets with 42 points in an 11-point Houston victory.

[lawrence-related id=24684,24652]

Jayson Tatum says James Harden should have won 2019 MVP

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum says the NBA’s 2018-19 MVP award should have gone to James Harden, rather than Giannis Antetokounmpo.

In an Instagram Live session with basketball skills coach and consultant Pep Stanciel, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said Wednesday that he thinks the wrong player won the NBA’s MVP award last season.

Rather than Milwaukee forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tatum says the award should have gone to Houston Rockets guard James Harden.

Here’s how the exchange went between Stanciel and Tatum, who also said he believes Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James should win the 2019-20 season’s MVP award over Antetokounmpo.

Tatum: James Harden should have won MVP last year.

Stanciel: They’ve been robbing him for five straight years now!

Tatum: I’m not going to say five, but he definitely should have won back-to-back MVPs.

In the video, Tatum also picked Harden as the NBA’s best shooting guard. Since the calendar flipped to 2018, Harden’s Rockets have won all five head-to-head meetings against Tatum’s Celtics.

Harden, the league’s 2017-18 MVP, averaged a career-high 36.1 points per game last season to go with 7.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds. That total included the second-longest streak of consecutive 30-point games (32) in NBA history, which helped Houston go 42-15 over its final 57 games.

Meawhile, Antetokounmpo averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 1.5 blocks. The “Greek Freak” led the Bucks (60-22) to the league’s best record, and he made the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Both Antetokounmpo and Harden were named to the All-NBA First Team.

[lawrence-related id=17965,13709,12925]

Report: James Harden ranks third in new MVP straw poll

A survey of NBA media members shows James Harden in third place in the 2019-20 MVP race, trailing Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James.

Based on a new straw poll of 70 media members who cover the NBA, Houston Rockets star and former league MVP James Harden currently ranks third in MVP voting for the 2019-20 season.

Harden trails Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, who placed first and second in the voting, respectively. Antetokounmpo also won the award last season.

Here’s the methodology, as explained by ESPN:

To make the balloting process realistic, ESPN sought to mimic the league’s official voting process as closely as possible. Our MVP voting panel includes a mixture of local beat writers from across the league, as well as national and international reporters, just as the NBA’s does at the conclusion of the regular season. And, to conform to the NBA’s voting system, every first-place vote is worth 10 points, followed by seven for second place, five for third, three for fourth and one for fifth.

While Harden did not receive any first-place votes, he did receive two second-place votes — making him the only player other than Antetokounmpo or James to crack the top two. Overall, Harden finished in third place with 220 points, having made 56 of the 70 ballots.

Harden’s voting profile included two second-place votes; 30 third-place votes; 16 fourth-place votes; and eight fifth-place votes.

By contrast, Dallas guard Luka Doncic is in fourth place with 171 total points, with zero second-place votes and 19 third-place votes. Doncic led Harden for third place in ESPN‘s December MVP straw poll, but Harden appears to have overtaken the Mavs star as the season has progressed.

[lawrence-related id=19166]

Harden currently leads the league with a 34.3 points per game scoring average, which represents just the third time in over 30 years that an NBA player has averaged at least 34 points in a season. (The other two were Harden’s 36.1 last season and Kobe Bryant’s 35.4 in 2005-06.)

However, the team results for this season’s Rockets (40-24) aren’t as strong as the Bucks (53-12) or Lakers (49-14), which largely explains Harden’s current placement behind Antetokounmpo and James.

Harden has finished first or second in MVP voting in four of the last five seasons, as determined by the league’s panel of media voters.

[lawrence-related id=27145,13709]

WATCH: Top 10 career highlights for Rockets star James Harden

In Sunday’s SportsCenter, ESPN showed what it viewed as the top 10 career highlights for Rockets star and former NBA MVP James Harden.

On the one-year anniversary of James Harden’s career-high-tying 61 points against the San Antonio Spurs, ESPN compiled what it viewed as the former MVP’s top 10 career highlights on Sunday’s SportsCenter.

Each of the top 10 clips occurred over Harden’s eight seasons in Houston.

First on the list, as one might expect, was James Harden‘s game-winning 3-pointer in January 2019 at Oracle Arena — which gave the Rockets a victory over the two-time defending NBA champion Golden State.

Other Harden highlights included the NBA’s first 60-point triple double in January 2018; his game-winner over Andre Iguodala and the 73-win Warriors in the 2016 playoffs; Harden’s infamous crossover of Wesley Johnson at Staples Center in February 2018; and his game-winner over current teamate P.J. Tucker (then with the Phoenix Suns) in January 2015.

The complete list of Harden’s top 10 career highlights, as judged by SportsCenter, can be viewed below. Now an eight-time All-Star, Harden has led the NBA in scoring for three consecutive seasons.

[lawrence-related id=27122,26562]

This day in history: Harden ties Rockets scoring record with 61

James Harden tied his career high with 61 points on March 22, 2019, including all 13 in Houston’s late 13-2 run to put the Spurs away.

In a home game versus the in-state and division rival San Antonio Spurs, James Harden tied his personal career high and Houston Rockets franchise record with 61 points on March 22, 2019 (box score).

On that Friday one year ago, Harden scored 61 on 19-of-34 shooting (55.9%), including a staggering 9-of-13 on 3-pointers (69.2%). And his Rockets needed every bit of it to pull out the win at Toyota Center.

Harden saved his best for the biggest moments, scoring all of Houston’s points in a late 13-2 run to secure the 111-105 victory (recap).

“I was just in attack mode all night,” Harden said after the game. When legendary Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich was asked postgame about strategies to slow down the NBA’s then-reigning MVP, he replied:

You think I know? If anybody knew, they would have already done it. Nobody can do it.

“I don’t know how you get any better than that,” Rockets head cach Mike D’Antoni said postgame to reporters. “Whoever was in the gym tonight got to see something they’ve never seen before.”

Harden, who also scored 61 on January 23, 2019 in New York, joined Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan as the only players with multiple 60-point games in a single season in NBA history.

In his previous game, Harden scored 57 versus the Memphis Grizzlies, which made him just the second player in NBA history (after Chamberlain) to score at least 55 points in consecutive games.

Harden went on to finish the 2018-19 season averaging 36.1 points per game, which was the most by any NBA player in over 30 years.

[lawrence-related id=27050,8488]

James Harden explains why he thinks he’s the NBA’s best player

Rockets star James Harden says the unique coverages drawn up by other teams for him are evidence of why he’s the league’s best player.

In an interview known most for his apparent verbal jab at reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Houston Rockets star James Harden is also making headlines for declaring himself as the NBA’s best player.

That’s nothing new or surprising, of course. Confidence comes with the territory of being among the league’s elite, and Harden has led the NBA in scoring for three straight seasons. Earlier this year, retired legend Dwyane Wade referred to Harden as one of the “greatest ever.”

But what’s new in Harden’s latest interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols is the explanation. Though Harden doesn’t rank at the top of most MVP lists this season by media members, he says he has respect where it matters most ⁠— in the form of game plans by opposing coaches.

Harden explains:

I feel like I’m the best player. Throughout the course of the year, I don’t see double-teams of anybody else. Maybe Dame [Lillard] when he’s going on an amazing stretch, but usually you see a double team after you have a 50-point night or a 60-point night. If I have an 18-point night, the next night I’m seeing a double team, which is pretty cool.

The NBA’s never seen it before at halfcourt, so I’m just trying to figure out ways to be great in that. But you don’t see another player that’s getting double-teamed. It’s totally different than any other player in this league, or probably that’s ever been.

https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1233485279136288770

Harden also said he was very confident in his ability to lead the Rockets to the 2020 NBA championship, just as he did in November.

[lawrence-related id=20137,17801]

One positive sign of late for Harden is that the double teams are becoming harder to execute, now that Houston’s permanent switch to a smaller lineup has provided additional floor spacing and driving lanes.

[lawrence-related id=24287]

In his last three games — all Houston victories by double digits — Harden is averaging 35.0 points per game on incredible efficiency, shooting 56.3% from the field and 50.0% on 3-pointers. He’s also tallied 6.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game during that run.

Regarding the smaller lineup, Harden said:

It gives us more spacing to get to the rim and create opportunities for our teammates.

Granted, Clint [Capela] was great for us these last few years. I’m proud of him, the way he grew as a player and as a person. Now he has another opportunity in Atlanta. But it’s more spacing, and it’s more opportunities for our guards to drive and be able to attack the rim, and then we get shooters. So, it’s pretty cool.

https://twitter.com/Itamar1710/status/1233415951716147201

Led by Harden, the Rockets (38-20) have won five consecutive games and eight of their last 10 overall. They return to action Saturday night at Boston (41-17), with tip-off from TD Garden scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Central. The game will be televised nationally on ABC.

[lawrence-related id=25861,25837]