Sources say that James Harden believes the Houston Rockets have a toxic culture and compares them to the New York Knicks.
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The Houston Rockets have had a rollercoaster of an offseason in 2020. Though they managed to snag Christian Wood for a solid 3 year contract, everything else has gone downhill for them.
Mike D’Antoni and Daryl Morey both left the organization to join the Brooklyn Nets and 76ers, respectively. PJ Tucker has been quoted as saying that he does not like his role on the team.
This makes sense as on offense, he is placed in the corner for spot up 3s. On defense, he was consistently tasked with guarding players 7 inches taller than him. Russell Westbrook was dealt away to Washington.
Most importantly, James Harden requested a trade away from the Rockets and has not reported to training camp yet.
The Houston Rockets reportedly have a toxic culture
A lot has gone down in the Rockets organization in the past 2-3 months. It is safe to say that there is an inordinate amount of internal turmoil that needs to be resolved.
A source that claims to know “James Harden’s thinking”, says that the Rockets have a definitive culture problem, calling it ‘toxic’. The culture is reportedly being compared to that of the New York Knicks.
Some news: A person familiar with James Harden’s thinking described the Rockets’ culture as toxic and called them the “Knicks of the South.”
— Rohan Nadkarni (@RohanNadkarni) December 7, 2020
The New York Knicks are notorious for not capitalizing on the fact that they play in Madison Square Garden, New York, and treat their team as though they play in a small market.
James Dolan has repeatedly made moves that directly impact the franchise in a negative way.
Do the Houston Rockets really have a toxic culture?
At the moment, these are all just rumors. However, with the way their offseason has gone, it wouldn’t be surprising to see more reports like this surge all over social media.
Russell Westbrook addressed a version of these claims, and said that the Rockets front office has no accountability over their players and is much too lenient.
