James Harden Reportedly Thinks The Rockets Are ‘The Knicks Of The South’

A source close to James Harden reports that the MVP thinks the Houston Rockets are toxic. Harden has even called the Rockets the “Knicks of the south.” That’s no slight insult in today’s NBA. If this report is true, James Harden is trying to force his way out of Houston.

Some news: A person familiar with James Harden’s thinking described the Rockets’ culture as toxic and called them the “Knicks of the South.”

— Rohan Nadkarni (@RohanNadkarni) December 7, 2020

We’ll never know what Harden really thinks until he makes a public statement. As of now, we have to use context clues to decipher what’s on his mind. Just yesterday, James Harden didn’t show up for practice, and Rockets head coach Stephen Silas had no clue why. It’s not necessarily the end of the world that he didn’t practice in the pre-season, but his lack of communication tells a story.

When was the last time a player disappeared or showed up whenever he wanted and everything worked out? Dennis Rodman in the 1990s? Rodman was able to maintain that type of relationship with Phil Jackson because he earned that right. Jackson knew Rodman cared about winning–he just needed a reset. Rodman and Jackson had an understanding.

Here’s where we are: James Harden now practices whenever he wants, and his coach has no clue what to expect from him on any given day. Yesterday, Coach Silas said he expected Harden to show up for workouts later in the day, but Harden never showed, intentionally leaving a bad taste in the mouth of every fan. He doesn’t respect the organization, and he wants to go.

Reactions

Rohan Nadkarni of Sports Illustrated gave his own reaction, which may have been Harden’s true goal all along.

I’m not sure it’s in Houston’s best interests to drag this situation out. Harden is under contract, but stars take notice of how other stars are treated around the league. That’s the game now.

— Rohan Nadkarni (@RohanNadkarni) December 7, 2020

“…stars take notice of how other stars are treated around the league,” NadKarni tweeted.

He’s on the money. But if this report is true, then Harden has made a calculated move here. His lack of respect for the organization, which will stain this franchise for decades, is now out in the public without Harden making it public himself. That’s the ultimate power move that could get Harden out of Houston, despite the Rockets claiming that they want to keep him. They can’t hang onto the MVP if he’s hurling insults at the franchise. Melo leveled similar insults at the Knicks, and they plagued the team for years.

This report may be completely baseless. However, Harden has not denied it. Nor is he communicating with the Rockets or attempting to make the organization look somewhat presentable. Until James Harden comes out to extinguish this fire, we can only assume the smoke is real.