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USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

James Harden and the Houston Rockets have not had the best of starts to the 2020-21 NBA season. They have won just two out of their first six games so far and hold the 13th seed in the West. But what is the reason behind their slow start? Is it James Harden?

At least, Houston Rockets legend Calvin Murphy surely believes that the Beard is to blame. Murphy, who is now a broadcast analyst, gave his post-game analysis of Harden’s performance. But right after the broadcast was cut off for a commercial, Murphy whispered, “He quit.”

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The 72-year-old is clearly referring to Harden as he threw this mean jab. But it seems he believed the audio was already cut off by the time he made those comments under his breath.

It is true that Harden has struggled to find his touch early in the season. But can we assume that the former MVP has stopped playing seriously for Houston?

Is James Harden the one to blame for the Rockets’ struggles?

USA Today via Reuters

After spending eight seasons with the Rockets, the Beard finally decided to move on from the franchise. In those years he carried the team on his back to a respectable seed in the postseason, but he could never bring out his A-game on the table in the playoffs.

Due to that, his career has come to a standstill, which led to him requesting a trade from the organization in the offseason. But as we know, so far the Rockets have not accepted any trade packages for the superstar, despite his will to leave the franchise.

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Additionally, since requesting a trade, Harden has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Honestly, looking at his performance against the Pacers, he seemed to be distracted. He wasn’t a vital part of their offense in the fourth quarter as much as one would expect him to be.

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Keeping everything in mind, it does appear as if Harden has called it quits on the franchise. But what are your thoughts on Murphy’s comments about James Harden? Do you agree with the Rockets legend? Let us know your views in the comments section down below.