This is James harden’s Last chance, for real…
A couple of days ago, James Harden's disjointed and flustering 76ers' tenure came to a close when he was traded to the LA Clippers for a bag of chips and a Diet Coke. Harden is in his 15th year and finds himself on a new team for the fifth time in his illustrious career. The Beard has every individual award a player needs, and his legacy as one of the greatest scorers ever has been cemented. The problem with Harden is that he could be cemented as the biggest playoff choker in the history of the NBA if he doesn't go on a deep playoff run this year...
It's widely known that Harden shrinks in crucial moments in the postseason and that his numbers dip in April when the playoffs start. James' career points, assists, FG %, and three-point % all go down in the playoffs, while his turnovers stay relatively the same. Harden has played in just one NBA Finals in his career when he was the sixth man on a young and inexperienced OKC Thunder team—his averages in that series: 12.4 points, 3.6 Assists, 37% FG... Harden has yet to make it back to the Finals since losing to Lebron in 2012, and his career has been filled with drama and turmoil since...
After a fantastic nine-year run in Houston, where Harden took the Rockets to the WCF twice and won a league MVP, he demanded a trade to the Brooklyn Nets to play alongside KD and Kyrie. The Beard's tenure in Brooklyn lasted as long as an average Kardashian Marriage, as he was dealt to the 76ers after 80 uninspiring games in two seasons. All was going well for Harden in Philly, as he was building chemistry with All-NBA Center Joel Embiid, and the Sixers prevailed in most games during his second season with the team. Philly seemed destined to make the ECF in 2023 until they blew a 3-2 lead to the Celtics in the semifinals and got wiped off the floor in Game 7. Harden requested a trade for the third time in three years that offseason, citing a nonfunctional relationship with his longtime buddy and 76ers GM Daryl Morey. During the premature hours of Halloween, Harden got his wish and was traded to the Clippers to team up with Kawhi, PG, and Russ. Now, James has one final chance to erase his past demons and cement his legacy once and for all...
James Harden has run out of trade requests, and this is his last chance to be an integral piece of a championship team. Harden could obliterate his past playoff meltdowns if he can help lead the Clippers to an NBA Championship. No team is going to trade for the Beard anymore because of his lack of commitment and history of requesting trades, so he has to make it work in the City of Angels
PHOTOS FROM FOX SPORTS