PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Scott Pera admits there were times it was hard to watch.
Even though he hadn’t coached James Harden in years, he couldn’t shake the nerves.
“I wanted him to do so well,” said Pera, now the head men’s basketball coach at Rice University, “and if he wasn’t, I’d turn it off, then turn it back on.”
That’s how invested Pera has felt with the career of the newest Philadelphia 76er. The former high school coach in his hometown of Hershey, Pennsylvania was Harden’s basketball mentor at Artesia High School in Los Angeles, and again at Arizona State.
More often than not, his former pupil has not disappointed.
Recently named an All-Star for a 10th straight season, Harden has led the NBA in scoring three times. He’s also topped the league in 3-point shooting, assists, free throws and steals, and is widely regarded as one of the best basketball players on the planet.
Thanks to a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets at Thursday’s deadline, Harden is now also a Sixer. The team is betting that by pairing him with fellow superstar Joel Embiid, the Sixers will become serious contenders for their first championship since 1983.
“When you have a great relationship with some,” said Pera, “you want them to do so well you get [those] feelings.”
Almost two decades ago, serendipity brought Pera and Harden together. Pera’s wife took a job out in California, and Pera, then a high school coach in Hershey, went with her.
Related
Pera landed the top job at Artesia High School, about 20 miles south of Los Angeles. He started getting results, and Harden took notice.
In California, as long as students have a means of getting to and from their high school, they can choose where they want to go.
Harden picked Artesia.
“He didn’t take to me too well early on,” said Pera. “Over time, trust was formed, and that’s where the relationship really blossomed.”
Related
So much that Harden followed Pera to Arizona State, where Pera was hired as an assistant coach after Harden’s junior season of high school.
“James was willing to do things when nobody was looking. That was key,” Pera said. “After school, I took him home. Many days, I’d be waiting in the gym for him to be done shooting, or I was shooting with him.”
Over time, Pera says Harden’s work ethic became obsessive. Harden left Arizona State after two seasons. The Oklahoma City Thunder picked him third overall in the 2009 draft, Then, he was traded to the Houston Rockets in 2012.
Nearly 10 years later, with 10 All-Star selections, three scoring titles, and an MVP on Harden’s resume, the guy who traded for him the first time got him again.
Related
“I know that relationship was important to him,” Pera said of Harden’s ties to Daryl Morey, who used to be Houston’s general manager and is now the 76ers’ president of basketball operations. “I know he has respect, obviously, for the Sixers organization, which I also think is very important.”
Harden’s done a lot since he and Pera first crossed paths, but he’s still searching for that elusive NBA title.
For their own sake, the Sixers hope Harden’s luck changes.
“He’s pumped,” said Pera, who says he talked with Harden after Thursday’s trade was finalized. “He’s not taking it lightly. The guy is focused and is as locked in on a mission as I’ve ever seen him.”
Coming from a guy who’s seen Harden longer than most, that’s saying a lot.
“He is really excited about Philadelphia. There’s no guarantees, but I know you’re going to get his best effort, and that’s usually pretty good.”