James Harden will be turning 35 years of age in August, but he remains in search of his first championship in the NBA. Time is ticking on the Los Angeles Clippers guard’s career to the point where conversations about what kind of legacy he wants to leave when his career is over are ever pertinent. During the Adidas Eurocamp in Italy in recent days, Harden said that he wants to be remembered, first and foremost, as a winner.
This, however, did not sit well with Stephen A. Smith. Speaking on ESPN’s First Take, Smith went scorched earth on the Clippers guard, with the pundit questioning how in the world Harden could be perceived as a winner.
“It might be the most embarrassing quote that James Harden has ever given about himself. My brother, James Harden is a phenomenal basketball talent. Winner? You don’t get to have that,” Smith said. “One NBA Finals, that was 12 years ago. In that series, you were considered somebody that was M-I-A. You were nowhere to be found.”
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Stephen A. Smith also brought up the times when James Harden faltered in the playoffs back when he was with the Houston Rockets, as well as the times he purportedly quit on his teams.
“There are several incidents in Houston where you came up significantly small, particularly the closeout game against San Antonio in 2016. Not to mention, forced your way out of Houston. Forced your way out of Brooklyn. Forced your way out of Philadelphia,” Smith added.