After Frosty Houston Split, Harden Says He’s an ‘Elite Teammate’

Days after telling reporters he did not think the Houston Rockets were talented enough to be competitive, James Harden said on Friday that he is an “elite player, an elite teammate” and an “elite leader,” in his first comments as a member of the Nets.

He also responded to critical barbs by his former Rockets teammates, including the former All-Stars John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins, in particular, referred to Harden’s behavior leading up to this week’s trade to the Nets as “disrespectful.”

“I wasn’t disrespectful to anyone,” said Harden, who had been the cornerstone of the Rockets since 2012-13. “Those guys had just got there, Houston. I’ve been there for a very long time. I’ve been through all the ups and downs with that organization and I wasn’t disrespectful toward anyone. I just made a comment that the team, as a whole, wasn’t good enough to compete for a title, and at the stage of my career where I am now, that’s what I would love.”

In postgame comments Tuesday night, following a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Harden said that he did not think the Rockets had the talent or chemistry to be competitive and added, “It’s something that I don’t think can be fixed.” This came months after Harden, who showed up late to training camp, privately requested a trade from the Rockets. The Nets topped the list of his preferred teams.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/15/sports/basketball/james-harden-nets-trade.html