As James Harden prepares to face his former team for the first time since he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, the superstar guard reflected on his eight-year tenure with the Houston Rockets and said so when he entered the Houston Toyota Center that night As of Wednesday (7: 30 pm ET on ESPN), he hopes to be “received with love”.
“For the love and gratitude that I gave to that city and that I still give it, I hope the favor will be returned,” Harden told ESPN in a broad interview.
There were months of tension that led to a four-team deal on January 13 that sent Harden to Brooklyn, his favorite destination.
In July, Harden rejected a $ 103 million contract extension offer from the two-year Rockets, making it clear that he felt the franchise window to compete for a championship had closed. The Houston board hoped to fix the relationship and convince Harden that the Rockets could still be competitive, but Harden never wavered, reiterating his desire for an exit. When the Rockets started the training camp, pictures of Harden’s party in Atlanta and Houston surfaced on social media.
“I thought I would never leave this franchise,” said Harden. “I thought I would stay in Houston, obviously, for the rest of my career. Things happened. I have different goals and I saw a different vision for me, my career and my family.”
He continued, “As I said, it doesn’t change the way I feel about the city. But it just didn’t go as smoothly – as smoothly – as I planned. Communication between me and the front office was a little unstable. And now I look back and see these other scenarios, other situations that are happening, specifically around other players who are in Houston, in different sports. And their transition is going very well. it was. I am where I am now. “
Harden added that he is “very, very happy and excited” about the direction the Nets have been following since their arrival, and reiterated that he wishes the Rockets franchise the best.
Eventually, the Rockets plan to retire James Harden’s shirt 13. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta told the Houston Chronicle, “James Harden will always be a Rocket.”
Now Harden is returning to Houston on the city’s trail – and its surroundings – being ravaged by a winter storm that has left millions of people without electricity or heat as temperatures plummeted. The storm caused some families to run out of food and others to flee to emergency shelters.
Harden said he has been calling every day to help Houston residents. Through his new restaurant, “Thirteen,” he sent 3,000 meals to Houston residents. Harden said he has shipped water tanks to the city and is working with plumbers to help those whose plumbing froze and broke.
“I feel like I’m part of the community,” said Harden. “Now that I’m in Brooklyn, it hasn’t changed the way I feel about that city and everything it has done for me. So whether it’s trying to feed as many people as you can, get water, as much water as you can for people who need it. “
Since arriving in Brooklyn, Harden has prospered, averaging 25.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 11.1 assists for the Nets. Harden played 21 games in total for Brooklyn and finished triple-double in seven of them. Only Jason Kidd had more in a single season in the history of the Nets.
Still, the Big Three of the Nets, Harden, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, played only seven games together.
“I’m very excited that we, as a whole, can play as many games as we can together, because the potential we have is very, very frightening,” said Harden. “We are still just doing whatever it takes to come out winning. … The potential will be more frightening when [Durant] come back. But for now, we are holding on to that and coming together as a team. “