James Harden’s Houston saga has been so thoroughly covered that there really isn’t much more to learn about the end of his time with the Rockets. Between videos on social media and reports from various media, we know everything, from what Harden was doing in his spare time to the discussions that were taking place at the Rockets office.
However, we received new information on Monday, courtesy of a report by Kelly Iko and Sam Amick of The Athletic, which details what happened shortly before the switch of four blockbuster teams that sent Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. Everyone is familiar with the now infamous press conference, in which Harden said the situation could not be corrected.
However, what was not known was that just before that, the Rockets had a tense team meeting, where John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins demanded Harden’s responsibility:
The group was fed up with the antics, tired of the headlines and constant questions about Harden’s state of mind and where all this was going. And with each day that Harden stayed in Houston, his presence became increasingly heavy for a team that just wanted a sense of clarity and understanding.
During the meeting, which was led by Silas, and which sealed his decision to keep Harden out of the team’s subsequent activities until an exchange was completed, sources say several teammates expressed dissatisfaction with Harden’s recent body language and effort. Silas asked if anyone wanted to share his unfiltered views, and the dialogue about his dysfunction started from there.
John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins spoke during the meeting, the sources said, seeking a direct answer about Harden’s level of commitment and preaching about the importance of responsibility. For those who were with the Rockets when Westbrook delivered the same message to anyone who wanted to listen, these uncomfortable dynamics were all too familiar.
This is really not that surprising. Harden clearly didn’t want to be in Houston, and between his pre-season antics and playing on the ground, he didn’t seem to be taking the start of the season too seriously. In the last five games before the negotiation, he averaged just 17.4 points on 37.8 percent of the field, numbers that were well below his usual standards.
Even when a player has as much star power as Harden, his teammates are not going to put up with that for long. Especially when two of them are Wall and Cousins, each of whom has spent years working to recover from serious injuries in order to play again.