Charles Barkley doesn’t think James Harden would be fun to play with
By
You may also like
Rockets’ Tari Eason out 4-6 weeks with oblique injury
Rockets’ Kevin Durant blasts past the Blazers with 30-point barrage
How Tiago Splitter helped Alperen Sengun become Rockets’ breakout star
What Kevin Durant is grateful for—and how it’s fueling the Rockets’ historic start
Why Rockets’ Amen Thompson told Reed Sheppard he’d ‘punch him in face’
Why the Rockets made the right choice moving on from Cam Whitmore
Reed Sheppard emerging as a reliable asset for the Kevin Durant-led Rockets
Why the Rockets’ defense is regressing in Year 3 under Ime Udoka
The Rockets’ 5-game winning streak is fun — now comes the hard part
Kevin Durant’s arrival unlocks overlooked weapon for the Rockets
Rockets news: Steven Adams’ NBA Cup injury update isn’t a welcome sign vs. Wemby, Spurs
Rockets’ Kevin Durant roasts Ja Morant’s dad Tee over Grizzlies feud
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.”