Rockets fans are finally free to embrace James Harden again

The Cavaliers are officially one win away from clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. James Harden was part of a key midseason trade that helped push Cleveland to this point, and Rockets fans no doubt have complex feelings about seeing James Harden potentially making a deep postseason run. But they should not be bitter. They should be happy for him.

Houston has complicated memories of Harden’s time in the red, black, and white. On one hand, he won an MVP, led multiple deep playoff runs, and brought relevance back to Houston basketball after some lean years following the Yao Ming era. On the other hand, his playoff résumé was complicated, and his exit from Houston was about as ugly as it gets.

Harden’s departure left a bad taste in fans' mouths, but the Harden-Rockets divorce was six seasons ago now. At some point, Rockets fans should be able to move past the ending and appreciate James Harden again.

Harden is an all-time great Houston Rocket. Seeing him potentially reach a conference finals for the first time since 2018 should bring back more good memories than bad ones.

Watching Harden in Cleveland brings back memories from the past

Harden is 36 years old and no longer the same player he was in Houston, but he is still a borderline All-Star talent. He is also still James Harden: step-back threes, pick-and-roll mastery, brilliant passing, and foul-baiting that still drives opponents crazy. Watching him help the Cavaliers is a reminder of what made him so special in Houston, just in smaller doses.

Of course, Rockets fans also know that with Harden, the good has always come with the bad. He is second in the league in turnovers during the playoffs, and his efficiency has not always been pretty. Those flaws are part of the package.

Some Rockets fans may look at those numbers and immediately think back to his brutal Game 6 against San Antonio in 2017, or his cold three-point shooting in the 2018 Western Conference Finals. Harden has well documented playoff demons. But they should not be the only thing Rockets fans remember.

Harden gave Houston eight seasons of relevance, and legitimate championship hope. He made the Rockets matter across the country. He gave fans a reason to believe they could go toe-to-toe with the best team of the era. That should mean more than the way it ended.

Houston should cheer for Harden

With the Cavaliers preparing for a massive Game 6, Rockets fans should be pulling for Cleveland. Harden finally pushing past the playoff criticism that has followed him for years should mean something in Houston. Rockets fans saw his brilliance closer than anyone. They also saw the flaws.

If Harden wins, it will not be in a Rockets uniform. It will not erase how things ended in Houston. But it should still matter. No matter what jersey he is wearing now, James Harden will always be one of the greatest Rockets ever. That is reason enough for Houston to root for him.

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