“The video went viral.”, that phrase was so corny today. But the truth is, yes, that video. Brian Damerisone of the analysts who appeared on the Dallas Mavericks broadcast told four truths. james harden It went viral. He had over 40 million views across various accounts that he re-uploaded to get interaction. Thousands of replies were received, the majority praising the video’s message.

The analyst requested that the producer connect the signal directly to the Clippers’ locker room so he could hear everything Harden had to say.

“Listen, James. Have you ever had a friend who always had a bad roommate? Over and over again they complain. They never realize that the bad roommate is actually them,” Dameris concluded. “Listen, James, you’re the problem. If this doesn’t work this year with this system and this team, you’re going to keep targeting the rest of the teams and go home and pick a new franchise and what? There will not be any left, because James, you are gone Beard, you’re not system, you problem.”

After several hours, Bally Sports SouthwestThe channel responsible for the broadcast decided to remove the post containing the original video, possibly motivated by the fact that the broadcast analyst is employed by the Dallas Mavericks’ production company. In fact, Brian Dameris worked for a television station for many years. analysis A close friend of the franchise, Dirk Nowitzki–. But the message has already been sent. It’s a message that many people agree with, and one that delves into a major issue with Harden and many other stars throughout history. Complete lack of self-criticism.

Birth of “The Beard”

James Harden came to the NBA as the first official draft pick in NBA history. oklahoma city thunder. The team he joined already had two young, up-and-coming stars. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, and that already placed him behind them in the rankings. With this mostly newly formed trio, they reached the Conference Finals in 2011 and the NBA Finals in 2012, losing to the Miami Heat. big three. The future seemed to be in their hands.

Personally, he was in great shape. His growth has been remarkable.he immediately NBA’s best sixth manIt became more and more recognized. The summer when he decided to stop shaving had a lot to do with it. He kept making it bigger and bigger because people recognized him as it and it was starting to become his thing. personal brand. This made it easier to recognize even for casual fans. Signs such as the following are increasingly being read at Thunder games: be afraid of the beard (Fear Beard). While he was negotiating a contract extension with the franchise, not everything was going so smoothly behind the scenes.

concise and simple, For Harden, it was an insult for the Thunder to trade him.. Franchise owners didn’t want to pay a hefty luxury tax after signing Durant and Westbrook’s contracts. When it came time to extend his third extension, the Thunder Sam Presti They chose what they considered the most logical from a sporting and economic point of view. serge ibaka.

The Thunder selected Ibaka, and Harden quickly made everyone realize his mistake.Not a mistake in choosing one or the other, but a direct mistake. impose a false obligation That you have to be with only one of the two. Who knows where that Thunder would have ended up if owner Clay Bennett had been willing to pay the money. He arrived in his NBA three years after his first max contract went into effect. tsunami of money About a new TV contract.

His transfer was an insult as he doubted whether he was really worth the money, but it was also a blessing. He can also ask himself what would have happened to him if the transfer hadn’t happened. His arrival in Houston allowed him to become an absolute leader. of the team.there he found daryl morey And that sabermetricsAnd everything began to revolve around him. He is no longer the third sword to the first sword, but a whole heliocentric system has been created with him as the main character, players who reinforce his strengths, and a general manager who worships him. Ta.

“I’m the best player in the league.”

NBA players exude confidence, even at the lowest level. That’s not a small amount. Being in the NBA means being in the NBA, more or less. Be among the top 600 in the world in your profession. Few people can say they are among the 600 best in the world at what they do. And when you are NBA MVP You’re having so many conversations that you can count on the fingers of one hand the number of people who are at the same height as you.

It’s no wonder, then, that Harden has long considered himself the best player in the league. If you ask every NBA player, you’ll probably find at least a dozen or two who think they’re the best in the game. Plus, Harden probably still thinks he’s the best.

Of course he thought so in 2019 and we know it because he has said it publicly several times. Meanwhile, the great duel for MVP was as follows. Giannis Antetokounmpo And that. Beard He won in 2018, and the Greek also won the award the following two years. But Harden believed he was at least eligible to play in 2019, especially after averaging. 36.1 points per gameThe highest number in history outside of that. Wilt Chamberlain or Michael Jordan.

“Well, it’s obvious, it’s the press’ fault. It’s out of my control. ”When it became known that he was not selected as MVP, he said this on his hometown radio show in Houston. “The problem with the media is that make a story Especially at the beginning of the year, then we take the same storyline and keep it throughout the season. ”

Harden believed the MVP was his and that Antetokounmpo won it because he was liked by journalists. But there was a more public clash with the Milwaukee Bucks star.During the All-Star Draft, Giannis selected kemba walker Before Harden, he gave the following explanation: “I want someone who can pass the ball.”

Everyone took this as a very direct hint, as Harden is one of the best in assists in the league and Kemba Walker wasn’t even in the top 30 in assists average. Rockets players let it go, but not for long. In an interview with Rachel Nichols shortly afterward, Harden said: “I’m 7 feet tall, I run a lot, I just work hard.”gave it back to Antetokounmpo because it doesn’t require skill.

Is it a system or a problem?

Unfortunately for James Harden, the conversation around him over the next few years has revolved more around his size, off-the-court habits, and trade requests than about MVP.

Harden is one of the best NBA players of the past decade, but there’s probably something about him that makes him even more elite than the athletic department. power transmission. In his first request, right after the bubble and without Daryl Morey by his side, we saw an overweight Harden not in the locker room. He arrived, played his great first game, and then he released himself. After he transferred brooklyn Their physical changes occurred overnight, which led to their creation. urban legend On whether he wore extra clothes in Houston It looks fat.

In Brooklyn, he got tired of always pulling the cart alone. kyrie irving He did not want to be vaccinated and missed many games because of it. kevin durant He was almost always injured. Forced to appear to lighten his load and give him a chance to be in the ring with his friends, he realizes that this is a joke that serves no purpose. So he forced his second move in less than 15 months. And his beloved Daryl Morey came to the rescue.

Their love lasted about a year. This time, Harden forgave the money and then, after watching himself get haggled by the 76ers, he publicly called Daryl Morey a “liar” and forced him out again. January 2021, February 2022, October 2023. 3 transfers for 3 consecutive years. His three stone tablets for his legacy.

Let’s go back to the first Dameris’ destructive message, the accusations that seem to haunt Harden, and how we remember him. Unfortunately, this is something we’ve seen time and time again in the sports world, especially in the NBA. The players are digging their own grave with every word. Because it usually happens They cannot accept that they are not as good as they used to be. That there is something better now. That it might be best to take on a supporting role. The best bet might even be to come off the bench (as Carmelo Anthony would say, “Who, me?”).

“I want someone who believes in me and believes in me. I’m not a system player. “I am a system.”

These words at his presentation press conference were: Los Angeles Clippers, Harden himself dug a little deeper into his sports grave. It showed that he had not learned anything and that he continued to think that he was not at all responsible and that the problem was someone else’s.

“I reiterate that I have not experienced training camp or preseason.“I’m learning as I go to a new team,” Harden said after the loss to Denver a few days ago. “I’m also preparing to get into ‘James Harden shape’ and being in good shape is very important.”

That’s the problem. Yes, he spent the preseason with the Philadelphia 76ers, but he was unable to play. “The shape of James Harden” Because they wanted to force a new transfer. and, 34 years It’s not easy to get in shape like you were when you were 28 years old. Harden is no longer the James he was five years ago, but he still acts like he is. He does it on, but he especially does it off the track. And if this time doesn’t work out, Daryl won’t be there to save him. No one would want to throw him a final lifeline.