The Los Angeles Clippers were historically not seen as significant contenders for the NBA title until Steve Ballmer acquired a majority stake in 2014. Under his ownership, the Clippers transformed into perennial championship contenders. Despite substantial investments from the former Microsoft CEO, the Clippers have yet to secure an NBA title. The addition of James Harden was a clear statement of intent from the Clippers’ leadership regarding their championship ambitions.

However, the James Harden experiment hasn’t gone according to plan, as of now. The Clippers lost five straight games with Harden on the team. James Harden starred in the Clippers’ victory over the Rockets. But, despite his game winning performance, Harden was labeled as “selfish”.

James Harden criticized after his heroics against the Rockets

The Los Angeles Clippers were tipped to win the NBA title. But their season so far hasn’t gone according to the script. They currently occupy the 11th spot in the Western Conference standings, with four wins and eleven losses. They snapped their six-game losing streak against the Houston Rockets, with James Harden scoring the winning points.

The acquisition of Harden instantly made the Clippers favorites for the title. But, fear over team chemistry came true, as the Clippers lost in Harden’s first five games. This led to Russell Westbrook’s benching against the Rockets. However, former rapper Cam’ron defended Westbrook and labeled Harden “selfish.” He said, “Shout-out to Westbrook for being the bigger person”. He added further, “I still look at it is as selfish of him (Harden) to come there and be like I am starting, y’all figure it out.”

This isn’t the first time that a Harden-Westbrook combination hasn’t yielded the desired effect. The duo joined forces for the 2019-20 season, in order to win the NBA title with the Houston Rockets. But the experiment lasted just one season due to chemistry issues and inability of Harden and Westbrook to complement each other’s playing styles.

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Harden-Westbrook’s Houston experiment

Despite their individual talents and remarkable accomplishments, Harden and Westbrook playing styles struggled to coalesce effectively. The Rockets’ reliance on isolation-heavy offense and the inability to fully maximize both stars’ strengths contributed to postseason disappointments.

Read More: “Not Worried” About NY Disaster in James Harden Era, Paul George Places Faith in Clippers’ “Starpower”

The duo’s tenure ended with Westbrook’s departure to the Wizards. His departure emphasized the difficulty of translating individual brilliance into collective success. The Harden-Westbrook experiment ultimately failed to yield the anticipated championship success and left a chapter of unfulfilled potential in their collaborative NBA journey.

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