“A New Challenge”: James Harden Looks Ridiculously Good in His First Practice with the Houston Rockets in Orlando Bubble

A wild wave of rumors spread that James Harden along with Russell Westbrook had contracted COVID-19. Westbrook announced last week that he had tested positive for the virus. Thus, he couldn’t make it to the Orlando bubble in time, but so couldn’t James Harden. The Rockets’ franchise player did not travel along with the team to the Disney World Resort, where the players are accommodated. 

But, ‘The Beard’ made his grand entrance into the bubble on Tuesday. Houston Rockets posted a video of Harden making his way inside the hotel, wearing an elongated mask that fits inside his large beard. Harden’s entry certainly cast side the rumors that might have suggested that he had caught the virus. 

The arrival of James Harden will certainly be a boost for the Rockets, as they had to go through a few practice sessions without both their superstars. However, upon arriving at the bubble, Harden had to be quarantined for a while and had to register three consecutive negative tests for the coronavirus. And the 2018 MVP smoothly passed the process to catch-up with his teammates. 

James Harden joins team practice with the Houston Rockets

Obviously Harden knows how big of a challenge they face inside the bubble. Moreover, by not having played competitive basketball in months makes the task every harder. 30-year-old Harden got back to the grind after a few months away to hone his skillset. It has been so long since we saw ‘the beard’ commit his stepback and sink in a juicy three-pointer. 

“I’m happy I’m here,” Harden said. “It felt actually really, really good to be out here with the guys, getting after it, just pushing our way. Every single day is going to be a new challenge for us.”

A slo-mo video of Harden completing a wonderful layup surfaced on the internet. 

Harden does look in good shape though. The two-time scoring champion has always got it in him and he just needs to revive them once he steps onto the court. Alykhan Bijani of The Athletic posted a video of James Harden pulling off a sick behind-the-back bounce pass to his teammate Robert Covington, which the latter finished with ease. And then Harden being himself, screamed, “He’s Baaack!”

Ever since the Rockets signed Harden in 2012, he has been the most important player on the team. Upon signing with Houston, Harden has established himself as one of the most prolific scorers in the league. 

It has been 14 seasons since the Rockets conquered their way to the finals. Their last appearance ended in a triumph when Hakeem Olajuwon’s brilliance helped the team sweep the Orlando Magic in 1995. Can James Harden cement his legacy in Houston by carrying his team to the 2020 NBA Finals?