FEAR THE BEARD
How scathing criticism of James Harden could impact Rockets homecoming
May 17, 2023, 12:28 pm
Will James Harden return to the Rockets? Composite Getty Image.
Rockets shrug off setbacks behind Harden's continued dominance
When my son was 4 years old, I signed him up to play kiddie soccer. The whole family, plus friends and even my boss from work, came to the park to watch him play his first game, a baby step toward what surely would be a championship athletic career. I had my camcorder ready to roll. His uniform was freshly washed. I even ironed it. How exciting! I just hoped he would allow some of the other kids to score goals, too.
Then, just before the team took the field, he started crying. “Take me home!” There was no stopping him from crying and sniffling – a total meltdown. “I want to go home!” So I picked him up and off we went home.
On that day, my son gave a better effort than James Harden gave the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 against the Boston Celtics last Sunday.
Harden, the three-time NBA scoring champ, scored nine points on 3 for 11 shooting, before eventually quitting on the team, moping around on the court, refusing to shoot and failing to hustle back on defense after blowing a layup. It was an unparalleled, yet typical, performance by Harden. That's how badly Harden stunk up the court. He did everything short of crying, “I want to go home!”
During the fourth quarter of Sunday's game, I texted my friend Glen Macnow, who's a sports talk show host in Philly. I asked him, are you enjoying James Harden's antics?
He fired back: “unbelievable, despicable, career defining as an embarrassing choke artist.” You could almost hear the disgust in his words.
I told him, down here in Houston, we've seen this before.
He answered, “We knew that. We essentially predicted it as a strong possibility on the show this (Sunday) morning.”
On Monday, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith really unloaded on Harden. “James Harden was so awful, so bad, he should actually shave his beard so he can hide his identity. It was really, really bad. I say that in all seriousness. I'm not joking. It was that bad. It will be difficult for him to walk the streets (of Philadelphia). You don't do what you saw him do on Sunday afternoon in a Game 7.”
And what about the rumor that Harden may return to the Rockets?
Stephen A. said, “They ain't giving him no max deal, they ain't giving him a major long-term deal, I can assure you of that. This performance right here turned a whole bunch of people off about James Harden.”
I wonder, does that include Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta, who has made his fondness, bordering on fatal attraction, for Harden very public? After Harden forced his way out of Houston three years ago, Fertitta famously told Harden he would be welcomed back to Houston in the future. If Harden agreed to a deal with Houston, it wouldn't surprise me if Toyota Center sold Boiled Bunny Sandwiches next year.
Given his stunningly gutless performance Sunday, why do we continue to hear that Harden to Houston is a real possibility? In fact, Vegas oddsmakers say it's likely that Harden will opt out of his contract with the 76ers and his No. 1 landing place, at -150 where betting is legal (not Texas), is Houston. Phoenix is the wiseguy's second choice at +250. Wow, can you imagine that? James Harden and Kevin Durant on the same team? You might as well just hand the Larry O'Brien trophy to the Suns now. Kyrie Irving is a free agent, right? What could possibly go wrong?
On Monday, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski wrote, “Houston is a very real possibility for Philadelphia's James Harden in free agency … there's a comfort level in Houston for James Harden … he's very comfortable in that environment … he knows ownership, he knows the front office.” Woj added, “Regardless of whether they win the lottery and can draft Victor Wembanyama, my sense is that it would not change the Rockets' intentions to pursue James Harden.”
Barring a reshuffling of the roster, the Rockets next year will roll out a team comprised mostly of rookies, second and third-year players without much hope of making a deep playoff run – given the team finished last in the Western Conference the last three years with records of 22-60, 20-62 and 17-55. Perhaps more than a big-time scorer who could help them inch closer to .500, the Rockets could use a mature veteran, a role model for the younger players, someone who can show them how to be responsible, professional NBA players, a real team-first kind of leader. That's not Harden, at least it wasn't his first time around with the Rockets.
Harden reportedly still calls Houston “home.” Last summer, Harden said, “My family is here, my mom, my sister, my brother – so this (Houston) is the place I would call home.”
Author Thomas Wolfe wrote a famous novel called You Can't Go Home Again.
We'll have to see about that.
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A new challenge awaits, and the Astros know what’s at stake
Jun 27, 2025, 2:05 pm
The Houston Astros didn’t just sweep the Philadelphia Phillies. They sent a message.
In three tightly contested games against one of the best teams in baseball, the Astros leaned on their elite pitching and timely offense to secure a statement sweep. Hunter Brown was electric in the finale, shutting down the Phillies’ lineup and showing the kind of dominance that’s become a defining feature of his game. Bryan Abreu slammed the door with four strikeouts to close out the win, and rookie Cam Smith delivered the deciding blow — an RBI single in the eighth to drive in Isaac Paredes, lifting the Astros to a 2-1 victory.
It wasn’t a series filled with offensive fireworks, but that’s exactly the point. Both teams sent out top-tier pitching throughout the series, and Houston was the team that kept finding a way. For much of the season, the Astros’ inconsistent offense might’ve been a concern in a series like this. But this time, it felt different. The bats showed up just enough, and the pitching did the rest.
Now, with Houston on pace for 96 wins at the halfway point, the question becomes: Is the league officially on notice?
Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain, the Astros have the third-best record in baseball, they’re 17-7 in one-run games, and they’re playing with the kind of rhythm that’s defined their near-decade of dominance. Unlike last year’s uneven campaign, this version of the Astros looks like a team that’s rediscovered its edge. Whether or not they need to take care of business against the Cubs to validate it, their recent run leaves little doubt: when Houston is clicking, there are very few teams built to stop them.
Off the field, however, a bit of long-term uncertainty is starting to creep in. Reports surfaced this week that extension talks with shortstop Jeremy Peña have been put on hold as he recently signed with super-agent Scott Boras. The combination has led many to wonder if Peña might follow the same free-agent path as Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, and others before him. Boras clients rarely settle early, and Peña, now one of the most valuable shortstops in the game, could command a price tag the Astros have historically avoided paying.
If Peña and even Hunter Brown are likely to get priced out of Houston, the front office may need to pivot. Isaac Paredes could be the most logical extension candidate on the roster. His approach — particularly his ability to pull the ball with authority — is tailor-made for Daikin Park and the Crawford Boxes. Last year, Paredes struggled to leave the yard at Wrigley Field, but in Houston, he’s thriving. Locking him in long term would give the Astros offensive stability and the kind of value they’ve typically targeted.
As for Cam Smith, the breakout rookie is far from free agency and will remain a cost-controlled piece for years. That’s exactly why his contributions now, like his clutch eighth-inning knock to beat Philadelphia, matter so much. He's one more reason why the Astros don’t just look good right now. They look dangerous.
And the rest of the league is starting to feel it.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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