James Harden Praises Young Rockets Star on Monday

James Harden likes what he's seen from Jalen Green in Houston.

Before the Houston Rockets turned into a tanking team banking on the high-end upside from inexperienced players, they were headlined by one of the NBA’s most notable stars James Harden.

Following an eight-year tenure, Harden grew disgruntled. Eight games into his ninth season with the Rockets, Harden forced his way out of Houston. Suddenly, the Rockets went from having an MVP-caliber guard as the face of their franchise to a rebuilding organization.

Rockets’ sophomore guard Jalen Green is now a key face in Houston. After getting drafted second overall in 2021 after a season with the NBA G League Ignite squad, Green is one of Houston’s youngsters with tremendous upside.

Meanwhile, Harden is on his second post-Rockets stint with the Philadelphia 76ers as he attempts to help steer the ship in Philadelphia to a title.

On Monday night, Green faced Harden for the first time in his young career after the two failed to cross paths during his rookie season. As Harden returned from a 14-game absence due to a tendon strain, he was able to have a homecoming in Houston, facing Green.

After the matchup, the ten-time All-Star addressed Green’s progress in the NBA, praising the former second-pick for everything he’s accomplished so far.

"I am so proud of him," Harden said. "He has not only lived up to expectations, but he is coming into his swagger every single game. Tonight, in overtime, he just took over, getting to the rim and doing all the necessary things to try and win this game. He has to keep that going." 

"His aggressiveness from last year has carried over to this year," Harden said. "This year, he has been attacking the rim and shooting his shots. As long as he continues to put the work in, he'll learn game-by-game, season-by-season as he continues to grow." (via Inside the Rockets)

In the double-overtime matchup between the Sixers and the Rockets, Green checked into the matchup for a little under 45 minutes. The sophomore guard drained nine of his 20 threes, scoring 27 points. He also produced seven assists and came down with four rebounds, leading the Rockets to an upset victory over Harden and the 76ers.

Meanwhile, Harden was slow to shake the rust after a month-long layover. While the former Houston star collected 21 points, he struggled from the field by draining just 21 percent of his shots throughout the night. Houston got the first punch in with a Monday night victory at home. The two teams will meet again for a rematch in mid-February when the Sixers host Green and the Rockets. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.