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INDEPENDENCE — Basketball isn’t an individual sport, but you might not know that if you just watched First Take or listened to sports-talk radio. Individuals are judged solely on whether or not their teams come through in the postseason. And while that’s an important part of the conversation, one player can only do so much.
“You know the American way is championship or nothing,” Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “In our movies, we call the little kid, ‘Hey Champ.’ That’s the thing. Sure, we’d all love to win the championship, but that doesn’t mean you’re not successful.”
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Few players have experienced the ridicule and criticism that comes from being a great individual player but not winning a championship more than James Harden.
Harden’s individual accomplishments over his 17-year career are astounding. He’s an 11-time All-Star, eight-time All-NBA player, three-time scoring champ, two-time assist champ, Sixth Man of the Year, MVP, is ninth all-time in scoring, and he’s still adding to that resume. That should put him in the conversation for being one of the very best guards in league history, but it doesn’t for one simple reason. He hasn’t gotten it done in the postseason.
There aren’t many in the league more competitive than Harden. That’s how he’s been able to be such a high-impact player for as long as he has. Atkinson has called Harden’s dedication to the game obsessive. Someone who’s that committed to their craft wants to do everything in their power to win. But at the same time, Harden isn’t defined by the hole in his resume. He admits that he’s had a fulfilling career regardless of what happens from here.
“I’ve done so many things 95% of the world can’t even imagine,” Harden said after practice Wednesday. “I’m very, very confident. I’m happy. Life is amazing. I’ve impacted a lot of different people in a positive way. I’ve impacted the game in a positive way.”
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There’s valid criticism for Harden’s playoff shortcomings. He hasn’t stepped up in the biggest moments like you’d expect someone of…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/james-harden-isn-t-defined-100000715.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-17 10:00:00
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