When praising James Harden, people often talk about his MVP-winning season or his dominant run from 2017-18 to 2019-20. While he is widely regarded as one of the greatest scorers in the game’s history, Harden doesn’t get enough credit for the way he changed the game. On Podcast P with Paul George, the panel got into this discussion in the backdrop of the veteran guard becoming the second-most successful three-point shooter of all time.
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When Reggie Jackson, the guest on the latest episode of the show, was asked how challenging it was to guard Harden in his prime, the 76ers guard admitted that it was indeed unbelievable, the things Harden did on the floor. Jackson said that during his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he used to be surprised at how Harden had the ability to score in so many different ways.
This made him pretty much unguardable, and coaches had to adjust accordingly. Jackson said, “I always tell people, the joke is, we had an era of guys playing behind him.”
The 34-year-old revealed that coaches used to devise strategies where their defense would often be either on the side or behind Harden. The plan was to get Harden to make layups or alley-oops instead of giving him space to hit threes. Jackson said that this kind of defensive strategy was “unheard of” in the game before.
Even though it didn’t make any sense, teams used to commit to this style of playing to somewhat contain Harden’s impact. This shows just how dominant Harden was in his prime.
At the age of 35, he might’ve lost the explosive offense a little bit, but he is still playing at a very high level.
Chandler Parsons applauded James Harden for aging like fine wine
On an episode of the Run It Back show, the panel got into a discussion about the players over the age of 35 in the league. Chandler Parsons outlined how the league is still being run by older players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Harden.
The former NBA star recalled the time when Harden was subjected to brutal trolling on the internet regarding his weight. He said that the people who trolled him are still admiring the kind of work that Harden is putting in on the floor. He said, “James Harden, he’s been fat-shamed, he’s been out of shape, people have been cursing…he’s playing at an elite level.”
He showered the other veterans with the same praise as well. Parsons believes that while they’re still here and playing at an elite level, their contributions to the game must be recognized.
