There’s a min breakdown of the depth chart. What I’m getting at is this narrative is that James Harden was being stone-walled by say Russ, who we now associate with playing the same position (as Harden become truly a primary ball handler in HOU very quickly). Nah, Thabo was in his way, and it’s similar to what the Spurs was doing by having the spark plug be…the 6th man. I’m sure if James Harden, who was obviously the 3rd man of the team, wanted to be a starter….Thabo would have stepped aside and James would have drastically improved his defense.
Now, of course, someone like LeBron or Kobe wants him elsewhere as both LeBron and Kobe were trying to….win championships. In my head though this would be like if Cason wasn’t starting but had a huge leap like James and the Thunder were threatening to be a NBA finals powerhouse again. I’m sure Cason’s first priority would be to of course GET PAID but it would be with the Thunder first before going out to say CHA to be his own man…as HOU wasn’t some powerhouse respectfully at that time.
Long way of typing that this could have happened and KD could have told Perk that…but it’s way out of context in its current form and as James has never disputed the story, the story truly becomes a situation where James felt disrespected that he wasn’t getting his truth worth and “the rest is history”
10 Comments
Perkins shoulda left OKC before he even joined. He was a bum
He would’ve stayed if we paid him. We didn’t
Perkins is a crook. We can never get that time back
If true, the USA players were correct. Happy for how Harden’s career turned out
This is an old ass story. Everyone said Kobe got into his head so he wouldn’t have to keep playing the thunder in the playoffs
I mean, yeah I bet they did. Who cares?
They make him leave at gunpoint? He’s a grown man, we should’ve paid him.
I thought it was cause he was smoking and turning up every night during the finals in Miami. And then played like ass.
Just that gentle reminder in life that James Harden could have….just been a starter.
https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/OKC/2012_depth.html
There’s a min breakdown of the depth chart. What I’m getting at is this narrative is that James Harden was being stone-walled by say Russ, who we now associate with playing the same position (as Harden become truly a primary ball handler in HOU very quickly). Nah, Thabo was in his way, and it’s similar to what the Spurs was doing by having the spark plug be…the 6th man. I’m sure if James Harden, who was obviously the 3rd man of the team, wanted to be a starter….Thabo would have stepped aside and James would have drastically improved his defense.
Now, of course, someone like LeBron or Kobe wants him elsewhere as both LeBron and Kobe were trying to….win championships. In my head though this would be like if Cason wasn’t starting but had a huge leap like James and the Thunder were threatening to be a NBA finals powerhouse again. I’m sure Cason’s first priority would be to of course GET PAID but it would be with the Thunder first before going out to say CHA to be his own man…as HOU wasn’t some powerhouse respectfully at that time.
Long way of typing that this could have happened and KD could have told Perk that…but it’s way out of context in its current form and as James has never disputed the story, the story truly becomes a situation where James felt disrespected that he wasn’t getting his truth worth and “the rest is history”