Despite being named one of the top 75 players of all time, James Harden’s legacy is frequently questioned due to his inability to win a championship. Amidst ongoing debates about his greatness, Evan Fournier stepped in to defend him. The Frenchman offered a fresh perspective while pointing to The Beard’s rivalry with the Golden State Warriors over the past decade.
Advertisement
The remarks stemmed from a fan Q&A session Fournier hosted on X on Friday. When asked to name his top five shooting guards of all time, the 31-year-old listed Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Harden, Dwyane Wade, and Allen Iverson, in that order.
This ranking didn’t sit well with a follower. Although that fan respected Fournier’s opinion, he suggested in the comments that Wade was a better all-around player than Harden. This counter prompted the 6’6″ veteran to defend the Harden publicly.
He discussed how the 10x All-Star stood his ground against a dominant Warriors dynasty for three consecutive years (2016 to 2019). The French guard argued that the 35-year-old might have won a title during this stretch, had he not been facing the Dubs. A translated version of his quoted tweet read,
“If Harden hadn’t faced the cheat code GSW team for 3 years, he would have ended up as an NBA champion, and we’d be talking about him differently.”
Evan Fournier had a few things to say about Harden:
“Top 3 SG ever. He revolutionized the game in a lot of aspects!
If Harden hadn’t faced the cheat code GSW team for 3 years, he would have ended up as an NBA champion, and we’d be talking about him differently. ♂️” pic.twitter.com/VEGQi96Vn0
— Sai (@LeGoatedOne) September 1, 2024
Harden became a leading NBA figure during these Houston Rockets years. For context, he bagged the MVP award in 2018 and won three consecutive scoring titles from 2018 to 2020. His sustained dominance also helped then-franchise President, Daryl Morey, build a competitive roster around him.
The results reflected their efforts. The Rockets cornered the Warriors during the 2018 Western Conference Finals. They pushed the series to a nail-biting Game 7. Despite a string of strong performances, an injury to Chris Paul and their lackluster shooting display cost them a spot in the finals.
The two sides met again in the next year’s conference semi-finals. Although the Warriors took an early 2-0 lead in the series, the Rockets evened it by Game 4. Eventually, the Dubs’ depth became the difference maker as they shot the Texas side out of the playoffs.
These instances justified Fournier‘s stance. Interestingly, Harden himself advocated a similar viewpoint.
What did Harden say about his legacy?
During a 2022 interview with Fox Sports, Harden announced himself as one of the most revolutionary NBA players ever. However, he didn’t shy away from accepting that his resume lacked the coveted silverware.
“I’m one of the people that changed the game of basketball. Honestly, the only thing that I’m missing is a championship.”
With Harden reaching the twilight of his career, his quest for a title has become a race against time. The Beard thus needs to rediscover his past form to earn himself a shot at the championship with the Los Angeles Clippers. Otherwise, his chances look slimmer than ever.
