Reggie Miller Delivers Scorching-Hot James Harden Take On NBA Opening Night

Reggie Miller was on the broadcast call for NBC as part of the network's NBA debut on Tuesday night, with the defending champ Oklahoma City Thunder playing host to the Houston Rockets. The Indiana Pacers legend nearly made it through the entire contest without saying something that left the entire NBA world scratching its head.

The keyword there is nearly.

With the Rockets at the free-throw line in the fourth quarter, the NBC cameras panned to the rafters to show off the Thunder's new 2025 championship banner next to Nick Collison's retired No. 4 jersey. This led Miller into rattling off a few different players he believes will have their jerseys retired in Oklahoma City as well, and one in particular made as little sense as humanly possible.

"Russell Westbrook should be retired here. Kevin Durant, I know it’s very unpopular, should be retired here. I think Serge Ibaka should be retired here. James Harden, I think, should be retired here," Miller said on the broadcast.

Reggie Miller suggesting James Harden having his jersey retired in Oklahoma City is bananas. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

Durant and Westbrook were the entire identity of the franchise for years, and both earned league MVP honors while playing for the Thunder. 

Ibaka played seven seasons for the Thunder, and was a key role player during his time in Oklahoma City, but his jersey being retired seems like a bit of a stretch.

As for Harden getting his number tossed in the rafters in Oklahoma City, the chances of that happening are exactly zero.

Harden played three seasons for the Thunder and started just seven games during that stretch. He was pivotal in helping push Oklahoma City to the NBA Finals during his final season with the franchise, but The Beard isn't, nor will he be remembered for his time as a member of the Thunder.

When you think of James Harden, you think the Houston Rockets and the nine seasons he spent with the club. He was named league MVP while a member of the Rockets and was the NBA scoring champion during his final three seasons in Houston.