Ever since Houston Rockets traded for Russell Westbrook this offseason, people around the league were wondering how he would fit with the team’s main star James Harden. Both Westbrook and Harden are ball-dominant guards and they were reluctant to share the spotlight in the past. It seems, however, that inside the Rockets’ organization, there are no such worries.
Harden recently had a chat with GQ magazine and was asked to give his opinion on whether he and Westbrook will work on the court next season.
“It’s like, yo, we’ll figure it out.” – said Harden. “Everything isn’t necessarily going to be smooth at first, there are going to be ups and downs, and that’s part of an 82-game season.”
Westbrook and Harden previously played together for the Oklahoma City Thunder for three years and made a trip to NBA Finals together. They were just two talented basketball players at the time,but since then they both developed into All-Stars and won MVP honors while becoming accustomed to being unquestionable leaders of their teams.
This is why their ability and readiness to sacrifice and take different role might be crucial for the Rockets’ success this upcoming season. Harden certainly believes this is manageable.
“Hopefully by the end of the season, we’ve caught a rhythm, and everybody is on the same page going into the playoffs. That’s all you can ask for.” – he added.
Russell Westbrook joined the Houston Rockets in mid-July from Oklahoma City Thunder, where he spent his entire NBA career. In order to acquire Westbrook, Rockets send guard Chris Paul and two protected first-round picks to OKC.
