‘I don’t think that style is ever going to win a championship’: Kobe Bryant once alerted us about James Harden’s game

James Harden has been the talk of the town ever since he called his own boss Daryl Morey a liar twice, insisting that he would never play again for an organization in which he’s involved. As the veteran player is looking to play for another team who might provide him what he needs in order to compete for his first ever NBA title, we can’t help but reminisce on what Kobe Bryant once said about him.

Long before “The Beard” started to fail to deliver in important playoff contests, when the 33-year-old was actually in his prime in 2014, the Lakers legend mentioned that it didn’t matter how impressive the player was, he didn’t believe his style would ever win a championship.

Bryant simply said that his ball-dominant game wouldn’t be enough to conquer a ring, even as he was proving to be the best player in the league with the Houston Rockets.

“I’m not a fan of it in terms of winning championships,” he said about Harden’s game. “I don’t think that style’s ever gonna win championships. But at the same time, you have to keep your team’s head above water to win games. You have to do what you have to do to win games. And he’s doing that.”

The former purple and gold great was always a student of the game and was well known for taking the time to study films. This is why we understand that his remarks are not percieved as criticism, but mostly because he genuinely felt this style of play wasn’t going to win big postseason series.

Nevertheless, Kobe never ceased to pay tribute to the former Rockets star. “What he’s doing is absolutely remarkable. It’s a testament to how remarkable it is because people are now trying to minimize what it is he’s doing. He’s doing some phenomenal stuff,” he assured.

It’s important to realize that Bryant foretold Harden’s potential failures to win a championship back when he was on a 30-point per game streak that lasted an incredible 32 matches, becoming the second-longest record behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 62 back in the 60s.

Many former NBA stars are divided in opinion amid Harden’s recent 76ers trade drama

After Harden publicly threw the Sixers President under the bus, many former basketball greats have expressed their divided opinion over his actions. Reggie Miller, for example, can’t believe that “The Beard” doesn’t want to play next to the reigning MVP next season.

“Joel Embiid was the MVP last year, correct? … Have you ever heard of someone not wanting to play with an MVP? How could someone want out from playing against the reigning MVP?” he asked the press.

"James Harden was an MVP in Houston under Daryl Morey’s watch, so, it’s sad to see”https://t.co/fjWmRQM1IU

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) August 21, 2023

Another who has a lot of experience watching Harden play up close was Boston legend Kevin McHale, who served as his coach in Houston during two seasons a decade ago.

“James wanted a big extension from Philly, and Philly wouldn’t give it to him, and that’s not a Daryl decision,” he said. “Daryl’s got a part of that, of course, but that’s an owner decision. So (Harden) was really mad, saying Daryl lied to him, but, you know, maybe they saw Game 7 against the Celtics (9 points on 3-for-11 shooting in a 24-point loss) and said, ‘I’m not interested in that.’”

The former Celtics player then admitted he himself shared a similar problem with the team’s star, just as his final days coaching the Rockets came to an end.

“The next year he came to camp, he was fat and didn’t feel like playing, and I got fired (11) games into the season,” McHale said. “He had a plan.”