Kendrick Perkins recently told the story of how James Harden was influenced to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012. During the 2012 Olympics, Harden joined Team USA where he got to play alongside his then Thunder teammate Kevin Durant and other notable names like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. While Harden's talents were undeniable, he acted as a role player for OKC at the time. However, that all changed after his teammates gave him some advice.
Perkins revealed that James, Wade, and some of Harden's other teammates played a role in his trade to the Houston Rockets in the 2012-13 NBA season. The former NBA veteran said that Durant told him that Harden was leaving after winning the gold in the 2012 Olympics. True enough, the thick-bearded role player went on to become a superstar and changed the landscape of the league.
[Kevin Durant] said, ‘Man, [we're] about to lose [Harden]'”, Perkins said. “At the Olympics [LeBron James, Dwyane Wade], all those guys were telling James, ‘Bro, [you're] too nice to be coming off the bench… You need to have your own team.
James Harden moved on to become a superstar
Back when James Harden was still playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, many saw his potential to become a superstar. Suiting up for the Thunder, he averaged 12.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals. His best season was in the 2011-12 NBA season when he averaged 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. That was the year when everyone recognized his talents. He was named the Sixth Man of the Year and helped the Thunder proceed to the 2012 NBA Finals.
Harden, alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, was then invited to play in the 2012 Olympics. It was a bittersweet moment OKC fans weren't aware of at the time considering how it was the last time they'd get to see their trio play with each other.
Come the 2012-13 NBA season, Harden suited up for the Houston Rockets. The bearded superstar immediately made an impact and proved that he had what it took to carry his own team. From averaging under 20 points per game, he went on to put up 25.9 points, 5.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in his first year as a Rocket. His spike in numbers awarded him his first All-Star selection.
Moving forward, Harden lived up to what LeBron James and Dwyane Wade told him in the 2012 Olympics. He became an NBA regular season MVP, an NBA All-Star MVP, and was named to seven All-NBA Teams.
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