“I’ve pretty much reached or accomplished every individual stat or award that I can or I would want to,” James Harden shared in a new interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols. “It’s always been about winning. Obviously, if we fall short, we don’t reach the goal. That was the ultimate reason for my decision and the ultimate reason why I’m here in Brooklyn.”
Things got pretty ugly in the month leading up to Harden’s trade with many accusing the eight-time All-Star of quitting on his team. Harden wishes his Rockets tenure had ended on friendlier terms, though the 31-year-old knew it was time for a change.
“The situation that I was in in Houston, consistently, every single night, having to get 40 points to give ourselves a chance to win for a lot of years is draining,” said Harden, who has registered 23.3 points per game—well below the 34.3 he averaged a year ago—since arriving in Brooklyn. “I apologize for how it went down but I guess I had to do what I had to do in order to get to where I wanted to go.”
In speaking with Nichols, the veteran did show some remorse for his turbulent final days in Houston, admitting many of his actions were out of character. “I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. I wasn’t trying to be selfish,” Harden insisted. “Credit to Houston. They didn’t necessarily have to trade me to Brooklyn. They could have traded me anywhere. But those are some standup guys over there. It ended up the right way. I just didn’t like how that month or two played out.”
Many expected the Nets, equipped with two former MVPs (Harden and Kevin Durant) and a perennial All-Star in Kyrie Irving, to immediately rise to juggernaut status in the Eastern Conference, but so far, that hasn’t been the case. As recent growing pains would suggest, the new-look Nets are very much a work in progress. “The schedule is so hectic that we’re playing four times a week and not really enough time to practice,” said Harden. “So it has to be throughout the course of the games that we’re learning.”
Harden is also learning a thing or two about New York winters. Spoiler—they’re pretty darn cold. “I had to change my entire wardrobe. It’s freezing,” complained Harden. “A lot more big coats. You’ve got to bundle up more.”
Harden and the 15-12 Nets will be back in action Saturday night at Golden State. Kevin Durant is expected to return after missing the previous three games due to COVID protocols.
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