“It’s How the Story Should End”: Daryl Morey Pens an Emotional Goodbye to James Harden and the Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are going through a major rebuilding process. This doesn’t just apply to the team and players, but also the front office. After years of failure and an inability to reach the NBA Finals, there seems to be a change in the air for the Rockets.

Mike D’Antoni resigned as head coach of the Rockets after their second-round playoff exit against the Los Angeles Lakers. But the biggest shake-up for the Rockets was the resignation of General Manager Daryl Morey. Daryl Morey had been with the Rockets since 2006, joining as the assistant GM. He was promoted to GM in 2007, replacing Carroll Dawson.

Morey’s biggest achievement as the Rockets GM was completing the trade for James Harden in 2012. Harden failed to reach a contract extension with OKC Thunder, and Morey managed to successfully pull off a trade for the player. This move changed everything for Houston since Harden went on to become one of the most important players in Rockets history. Since Harden joined the Rockets, he’s been an MVP, All-Star each year and made every All-NBA first team except in 2012 and 2016.

The Rockets have also seen great success, making three Western Conference Finals with Harden as the star player, but each time they were defeated by the Golden State Warriors. There is no denying that James Harden is one of the biggest players in the franchise’s history.

Daryl Morey thanks James Harden

Daryl Morey took out a full-page ad in the Houston Chronicle on Sunday. He thanked everyone from the city of Houston and the Rockets organization. Morey had very kind words regarding James Harden. He said:

“James Harden changed my life…An entire page could be dedicated to just James. He not only transformed my life but has 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 will be rooting for James to win a championship for Houston. It’s how the story should end.”

Morey will remain an advisor to the Houston Rockets for the near future and help the new GM acclimatize to the role.