Charles Barkley doesn’t think James Harden would be fun to play with
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After making some strong comments disparaging the Houston Rockets, Charles Barkley apologized to the front office with a series of statements saying his comments were inaccurate. However, he’s still taking shots at the team itself, especially James Harden.
RELATED: Charles Barkley writes off Rockets, literally
A year after reaching the Western Conference Finals, the Rockets barely managed to sneak into the playoffs on the final day of the regular season. Then, despite Stephen Curry going down with a knee injury, they were torn to shreds by the Warriors in five games in the first round.
On Inside the NBA after the game, Barkley went after Harden for the Rockets’ struggles, and not because of his abilities.
“(Harden) is a terrific player, but I'm not sure I would want to play with him,” Barkley said. “When you play for the Golden State Warriors, you feel a part of the team … But James Harden, he wouldn't be fun to play with because nobody wants to come to practice everyday to watch him dribble, dribble, dribble, or come to the basket, or step back and shoot the three.”
Even though Harden had a solid series statistically with 29 points, 7.5 assists, and 6.1 rebounds per game, the team’s chemistry and performance in other areas were severely lacking. Whether it’s fair or not, star players end up being cited for the play of their teammates, especially in basketball.
Harden was humble after the game, admitting that there’s plenty of room for him and the team to improve.
“I think every player, every great player goes through it. It's an opportunity to get better. I'll come back as a better basketball player,” Harden told reporters. “It was a frustrating year. A lot of ups. A lot of downs. I have to be better next year.”