It finally happened. All the tantrums pulled by James Harden came to fruition with his highly anticipated trade. In a complex deal between 4 NBA teams, Harden found his new home exactly where he wanted it to be, Brooklyn.
For the past couple of weeks, Harden was neither performing as per his potential nor speaking to the media. In fact, things got so bad that John Wall had to take a dig at him after their back-to-back losses against the Lakers.
However, despite how things ended between Harden and the Rockets, it’ll be criminal to undermine his legendary run with the team. Now that he’s officially out, one must take a look at all of his impeccable records with the Texas based franchise.
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James Harden and his unforgettable run with the Houston Rockets
The Beard had a golden run with the Rockets. He joined the team in 2012 and suddenly saw a growth spurt in his numbers.
His graph grew at an insane pace and reached the zenith in 2018-19 when he averaged 36.1 points, 6.6 boards, 7.5 assists, and 2 steals. These numbers clearly indicate his impact on both sides of the court. Take a look at the list of records he has on his name before making a rather infamous exit.
James Harden made his mark in the Rockets franchise books.
– 1st in threes
– 1st in assists
– 1st in 30-point games
– 1st in 40-point games
– 1st in 50-point games
– 1st in 60-point games
– 2nd in points
– 2nd in playoff points
– 2nd in playoff games pic.twitter.com/NDqDOu2OtU— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 13, 2021
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His popularity shot with the Rockets, and it became obvious that he will always be a Houston boy. Alas, it all came to a tragic end, and he had to force himself out of the franchise.
The Beard’s dominance all these years
James was a scoring leader in the NBA for three consecutive years. From 2018 to 2020, he ruled that coveted list of players thrice in a row. This was something just a handful of players, namely Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan (thrice), George Gervin, Bob McAdoo, Wilt Chamberlain (twice), and George Mikan had done before him.
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So yes, James could not bring a championship for the Rockets, but he surely brought other accolades. Mostly, they were individual records, but at the end of the day, they all had ‘Rockets’ mentioned alongside.
The Rockets organization has finally let go of James and in return acquired Cavs’ guard Dante Exum, Nets’ forward Rodions Kurucs, Nets’ three first-round picks (‘22, ‘24, ‘26), and a multi-year pick swap deal. Plus, they also received Cleveland’s first-round pick (‘22) and a 2nd round pick from the Pacers.