James Harden: ‘My time in New York wasn’t the greatest’

Harden’s potential as a superstar was apparent during his time in OKC, but he admitted that departing the Thunder allowed him to fully expand his wings. “Probably not… It’s hard to say, but I was eventually going to have to start starting because it was cracking. I did that because of the sacrifice for the team, and it made us better as a group. But by my fourth year, my swag was getting there, and I wasn’t no sixth man anymore. I already got that. But it was over $4 million. A blessing though because coming off the Finals, which I didn’t play… and then the Olympics, having the opportunity to be around all those vets, I go to my first year in Houston and go yaya.” -via Landon Buford / November 22, 2024

James Harden: “Most NBA players just make a rough basketball shoe, you know what I mean? My shoes are fly—you can rock them to dinner or just chilling, and then go drop 40 on the court. That’s the balance I’ve been trying to create. Most of the time when you see guys my age, 15 or 16 years in the league, their sneakers decline. But mine are still going up. It’s a blessing because it means we’re doing something right. There have been rocky moments internally with Adidas, but we’ve found our groove and are in a good space now.” -via YouTube / November 22, 2024

James Harden: For example, I randomly met Mike Rubin in the Bahamas at a blackjack table. He was playing cards, and I was watching—I like to gamble a little bit too. Normally, I don’t like people looking over my shoulder when I’m gambling, but I was doing it to him. He kept looking back, and then he said, ‘Nice to meet you. I’m Mike Rubin, one of the owners of the Sixers.’ I said, ‘Oh, nice to meet you.’ I think he was there for his daughter’s birthday or something. Anyway, he ended up leaving, but we locked in from there. Since then, any time I’ve had an opportunity or a question, I’ve reached out to him. I haven’t gotten to that same level with Steve Ballmer yet, but my focus is to pick his brain and understand his mindset. Guys like that are courteous, and they want to give you information. A lot of people don’t get that opportunity, so I feel like I have to take advantage of it. -via YouTube / November 22, 2024