James Harden at the NBA 2K15 Uncensored event today: "I'm the best all-around basketball player in the NBA." http://t.co/o3QdrhDD8n
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) August 20, 2014
SLAM Magazine – Despite being one of the greatest offensive forces on the planet, James Harden’s game still has plenty of room for improvement. And he knows it. Still, though, the Houston Rockets All-Star guard tells our main man Scoop Jackson that he’s the best baller currently breathing. Per ESPN:
Bottom line, you are on this (USA Basketball) team and a lot of players aren’t, but in your mind, who is the best basketball player alive right now? Harden: “Myself.”
That’s what I was about to say, “including you.” You made that sound like it was an easy answer. Harden: “It is. Myself.”
I’m going to do my best to try and not come off as the Larry Bird touting, angry white guy but enough is enough already. However I’d be remissed if I did not mention that only in basketball do these type of loud conjectures occur. You don’t hear Sidney Crosby say he’s the best player in hockey. Is he? Perhaps, but he plays in a sport where if someone gets pissed off they could give him his 15th concussion. Same goes with baseball, Robinson Cano mouths off he’s going to get a heater from any number of pitchers.
“Are you saying it’s a black thing, Brendan?” (this is where Brendan Clancy starts cringing)
No, because even in football you don’t see dudes popping off about being “the best.” You know why? Because if you’re a QB or a RB or a WR, the minute you say you’re the best everyone wants to hit you. Literally. Hell even Richard Sherman saying he’s the best DB this off season is going to have no less than at least one blind side chop block or elbow to this face a game this season.
So what is it then? It’s basketball, right? Sure. Ever since Van Gundy tried to cling for life from Alonzo Mourning‘s leg and the influx of foreign floppers into the league, there’s no ramifications for being a cocky. Even worse than that, the way in which these guys get courted in the off season in free agency, it’s no surprise this stuff goes to their head….but James Harden being the best in the league? I have more of a chance of going to KFC’s wedding than that statement being true. Some evidence to the contrary:
1) Defensive Juggernaut
2) His 2013-2014 stats
26 points a game is good for 3rd in the league but 4 rebounds and 6 assists in a game? Best in the league is damn near getting a triple double every game. Plus with his defensive skills and 9 free throw attempts a game, I could stand at half court and cherry pick and get 30 points a game.
3) Nobody who’s the best at anything wears capri pants
Is there a flood coming?
4) His jersey is the 10th best selling in the NBA
Can’t even crack the top 5 in sales, hell, you might not even be the best player on your team let alone the state of Texas…but most importantly
5) If you have to tell someone you’re the best at anything, you’re probably not
The only exception to this was Ali and he did it in a time of extreme racism basically flipping the country on it’s head. When people talk about the best in the NFL, do they bring up Philip Rivers as being the best QB? Because that’s basically who James Harden is in the NBA, good but for sure not in the best of the best. You a couple years away from being traded away and being the 6th man of the year, so how about focusing on making people think of you first and not Dwight Howard when they think of the Rockets. God, just wish there was someone in the league around to knock him down a peg.
Miss you, Ron.
