James Harden is heading to Texas for a much-awaited battle against his former team. This will be the first time that the former MVP will step foot at the home of the Houston Rockets after a rather messy breakup that ended with Harden packing his bags en route to the Brooklyn Nets.
Harden admitted on Monday that heâs definitely feeling a bit anxious about how the fans will receive him at the Toyota Center. It will mark the first time Harden will be donning the Netsâ white and black threads as he returns to the city he cherished for eight years (via Alex Schiffer of The Athletic).
âWe came up short of a championship. Hopefully, those fans appreciated everything I did on the court and off the court and what I continue to do off the court. I feel like Iâm still apart of the struggles they go through.â
To Hardenâs point, he did leave everything on the floor in his eight seasons with Clutch City. The 31-year old brought the Rockets to eight straight appearances in the NBA Playoffs, including two Western Conference Finals stints. Harden was an All-Star in all of his years with the Rockets and won an MVP trophy in 2018.
Unfortunately, things just didnât work out. Their recent struggles pushed Harden to force the hand of the front office to move him out. After the monumental trade, Harden now finds himself on the opposite side as the Nets are battling for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, while the Rockets continue to struggle since his exit.
The Rockets (12-game losing streak) are 8-16 since the James Harden trade and haven't won a game since February 4th.
đŹ pic.twitter.com/N756mKOWAx
â ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) March 2, 2021
Be that as it may, James Harden, whoâs been balling as of late, said heâll forever consider Houston his home and he is hoping that his relationship with the fans doesnât go to waste. It should be interesting to see what happens on Wednesday.