Ric Bucher doubts James Harden mentoring young talent: "Would Harden be the kind of veteran a team would look to mentor younger players?”
James Harden is without a doubt one of the best offensive players of his generation. As a 10-time All-Star and former MVP, Harden has also represented the game at the highest levels. From his Olympic gold medal in 2012 to his FIBA World Cup gold medal in 2014, Harden has pretty much done it all with the exception of winning an NBA title.
During his time with the Houston Rockets, he evolved from a good player to a great player, leading the team alongside Chris Paul. When Harden was put in a position to lead the team on his own, he unquestionably rose to the occasion, leading the team to a deep playoff run. Despite that, he may not be the best example for young players.
According to rumors, Harden could wind up opting out of his contract with the Philadelphia 76ers after this season and returning to Houston. According to Fox Sports' Ric Bucher, one anonymous Eastern Conference general manager laughed off claims of Harden returning to Houston to mentor the team's young players.
“The Rockets, for their part, are open to adding some veteran leadership to their supremely young squad — Eric Gordon and Boban Marjanovic are the only Rockets with more than three years’ experience — and have ample cap space to sign a high-priced free agent, but would Harden be the kind of veteran a team would look to mentor younger players?
“‘Uh, no,’ the Eastern Conference GM said, laughing,” Bucher wrote.
James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers season so far
Although ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski has already broken reports of James Harden potentially leaving the 76ers, Harden has been hitting his stride with the team. He just recently racked up his first triple-double of the season, putting up an insane stat line of 20 points, 11 rebounds and 21 assists.
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Currently, Philadelphia (20-13) is in fifth place in a stacked Eastern Conference. The team sits behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (22-14), who have fallen to fourth place.
Ahead of them, the Milwaukee Bucks (22-12) sit in third place, with the surging Brooklyn Nets (23-12) in second place behind the Boston Celtics (23-12). Given how stacked the East is, an opportunity to make the jump back to the Western Conference could be a welcome change for Harden.
During his time with the Rockets, Harden earned quite a reputation for his rock-star lifestyle. According to reports, Harden has gone so far as to spend $1 million in one night at a Houston strip club. Another report has tracked his performances in cities with well-known strip clubs, showing how he performs worse in cities where he's likely partying.
Whether James Harden's team wins or loses, one thing has become clear: The former MVP will be out partying afterward. That was the case last year when he was seen partying with rappers Lil Baby and Travis Scott after a horrendous shooting night against the Brooklyn Nets.
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With that in mind, it seems the only question is where James Harden plans on playing and partying when this season is up.