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12-Year NBA Veteran Makes James Harden, Golden State Warriors Statement

This NBA veteran believes LA Clippers star James Harden would be an NBA champion if not for the Golden State Warriors

Joey Linn

Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) looks on during the second half of the game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.
Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) looks on during the second half of the game against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena. / Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports
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LA Clippers star James Harden was one of the best players in the NBA at his peak. Winning three-straight scoring titles with the Houston Rockets, Harden also led his team to two Western Conference Finals appearances (2015, 2018).

Houston lost to the Golden State Warriors in both of their Conference Finals appearances during the Harden era, also losing to Golden State in the 2016 first round and 2019 Western Conference semifinals.

While Harden is often criticized for not having an NBA championship, he and the Rockets ran into the Warriors during the peak of their dynasty. Golden State won the Western Conference each year from 2015 to 2019, winning the NBA championship in 2015, 2017, and 2018 before winning again in 2022.

In a recent post on X, 12-year NBA veteran Evan Fournier claimed Harden would be an NBA champion if not for Golden State.

In a post translated from French to English by X, Fournier wrote, “I understand. I think that if Harden doesn't fall on the GSW cheat code team for 3 years he ends up NBA champion and then we talk about him differently.”

This is a very fair assessment, as Harden is far from the only player who was kept from a ring by Golden State’s dynasty. Hoping to win one with the Clippers, Harden re-signed with LA this offseason.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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