HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610) -- For what it's worth, Rockets star James Harden is excited about starting his 12th NBA season Saturday night in Portland against the Trail Blazers.
Whether he's excited to do that with the Rockets, who traded for him eight years ago, I'll leave for you to speculate on your own.
Harden said Year 12 isn't weighing on him, despite all of the noise surrounding it.
"I feel like I'm 21 again, even though in reality I'm not," said Harden, now 31. "You try to find ways to put your footprint on this league, try to find yourself in this league. Some guys never do it. I know myself all around. That's why I'm so confident."
The top story in the NBA is not its lackluster start, but the spectacle in Houston with Harden and the Rockets.
Harden has made it clear he wants to be traded. The Rockets have made it clear it's not entirely up to him -- with Harden having another two years and a player option left on his deal -- and they'll make a deal if and when they see fit.
The Rockets' season was supposed to begin Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that game was postponed due to COVID-19 testing and contact tracing.
Rookie Kenyon Martin Jr. tested positive for coronavirus, leading to the initial cancellation Wednesday and contact tracing which included veterans DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall. Those players are among a mix of Rockets required to quarantine for seven days.
An unrelated positive test from a Rockets staff member began a new contract tracing path which included Eric Gordon and others.
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Harden would have also been ineligible for Wednesday's game after being seen earlier in the week on video at a highly-populated event in Houston without wearing a mask, which led to a $50,000 fine by the NBA for violating the league's COVID-19 protocols.
If the game had been played and Harden missed it, he would have lost $284,00 in salary for the game in addition to the fine. So in some ways, his teammates unintentionally came through for him.
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When asked about his anticipation for the season, Harden said he never wants to take playing basketball for granted, especially in his twelfth season.
"Individually, for me, it's just being the best basketball player on the floor every single night," Harden told reporters Saturday afternoon following a shootaround. "And then as far as team, making sure I can help my teammates be the best player they can be every single night. Obviously, every night is not going to work out that way. But once you have that mentality, more than not, good things will happen for you and the entire team. So just try to go out there and be the best I can be."