Kevin McHale has responded to James Harden calling him a clown, and what he had to say was probably not a lot of fun for Harden to hear. James Harden is a very good player, but he is missing the "it" factor. Kevin McHale would know about that because he won three titles, is one of the best players of all time, and he has been to the Finals more times than Harden could ever dream of. Let us have a look at what McHale said so that we understand why his opinion matters more than Harden's.
The quotes
Kevin McHale has been quoted by ESPN saying, "Chris Paul, in turn, will get in your face, go nose-to-nose with you." Now you see that McHale has laid it out for Harden.
This should not be hard to understand, right? Kevin McHale makes sense because he knows that you have to care just a little bit too much on the floor. Harden has gotten confused in the transition from Kobe to LeBron. You see, Kobe cared, but he can be normal off the court. Jordan is not normal at all, and Harden probably hates that. So, he is being too lax all the time. He needs the balance that Kobe had. That balance would make Harden great because he could chase reality stars during the day, and he could have a great game on the court. He thinks that he has to be Hollywood on the floor, but he does not play for the Showtime Lakers.
What does he mean?
McHale means that a leader has to be willing to do everything.
Being great does not make you a leader, and he is right. Dwight Howard was great, and he was not a very good leader. Michael Jordan was not a very good leader before he figured out how to lead. There are plenty of good players who are just not very good leaders. This is true in many sports, and it happens all the time. James Harden needs to hear that because it would make all the difference in his game.
If he were scrapping for the ball, I would trust him a lot more.
Chris Paul cannot teach that
Chris Paul is not capable of teaching James Harden how to be a leader. all Paul can do is play his game and hope that Harden figures it out. Chris Paul might be a great addition for the Rockets, but he cannot fix this team because he cannot teach guys to care when it really matters.
Harden likes looking good in much the same way that LeBron does, and it has put Harden on the back burner in the western conference. He might not even be in control of this team when the season ends, and it would be because he does not care enough. The Rockets need to pray that Harden listens before he ruins them with his attitude.
