I’ve never cared for James Harden. I’ve never cared for his style of aggressive, highlight reel basketball. I’ve never cared for his foul baiting that irreparably damaged the game. I’ve never cared for the way he disappears when it matters most. I’ve never cared for his beard. 

Now he’s on my team.

On Feb. 3, the Cleveland Cavaliers traded Darius Garland to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for James Harden. In case you aren’t in the loop, that’s like trading a brand-new Corvette for a banged-up Ferrari. 

Garland was a fan favorite and one of the earliest bright spots for Cleveland basketball after Lebron James left in 2018. The city stuck by him when he started his career as statistically the worst player in the entire league and developed into an All-Star-caliber guard. He was shifty, effortlessly gliding past defenders and passing through the pockets no one else could find. 

I don’t intend this to sound like a Darius Garland postmortem, but that’s how it feels. I hope he keeps balling, but playing for the Clippers is like being in basketball purgatory. He’s a hardworking player who always uplifts his teammates, and I feel like the team gave up on him. 

After taking the Cavaliers to three straight playoff appearances alongside co-stars Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, last year was anything but a fairy tale. Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers’ dark magic cut the Cavaliers short after a historic regular season, and Garland barely saw the court due to a toe injury.

But enter his replacement, James Harden, a man who’s been an All-Star 11 times, earned three scoring titles, been All-NBA eight times and won the MVP award in 2018. 

Despite all the accolades, he’s never won a championship. His greatest claim to fame may be choking. 

He shot an abysmally low 18% in the 2015 Western Conference Finals and in an elimination game against the Golden State Warriors. In 2017, he did the same against the San Antonio Spurs. 

After 17 years in the league, Harden has yet to miss the playoffs, but he has nothing to show for it.

The problem with Harden isn’t that he’s terrible, it’s that you don’t know which version of him you’re getting. In his short time as a Cavalier, he’s already given Clevanders a front-row seat to the Harden experience. He’s put up performances that make me want to jump through the screen, and others that make me want to apologize for hating him in the span of days.  

When Cleveland got rid of Garland, they shortened their future. They traded a talented young guard for one 10 years his senior. It was a “win now” move made after years of stagnation. If the Harden gamble doesn’t pay off, they might blow everything up. It makes his unpredictability even more nerve-wracking. 

Some players are just awful in the playoffs. I’ve enjoyed watching the Detroit Pistons’ Jalen Duren put up nothing but horrible performances ever since April.

Harden is different; the stats don’t communicate how awful he’s capable of being. I can tell you he had more turnovers than field goals in the first nine games of the playoffs, but even that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Above all else, I want to see my favorite team win, but Harden’s legacy is on the line and I think he knows that. He knows that if he doesn’t lock in now, he’ll forever be known as the guy who couldn’t get it done. 

Maybe pairing him with Donovan Mitchell, an incredible player who’s never been past the second round of the playoffs, was the right choice. 

They’re both hungry and have chips on their shoulders. I hope those chips carry them to a championship.

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