James Harden played a crucial role in the OKC Thunder’s victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the 2012 playoffs, but his performance in the NBA Finals against the Miami Heat left much to be desired, allegedly due to his extracurricular activities. This has led to criticism from NBA fans who label him as a playoff choker, a notion supported by his past elimination game performances. Despite being a threat to the Warriors’ dynasty in 2018, Harden’s Rockets failed to advance to the Conference Finals, and he has not returned to that stage in the five years since. As the Sixers trail 2-1 in their second-round series, Harden’s championship window appears to be closing fast. Former teammate Kendrick Perkins accused Harden of visiting strip clubs during the 2012 NBA Finals while appearing on the All The Smoke Podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, as Perkins himself was a member of the OKC Thunder team that made the 2012 NBA Finals.
During an appearance on the All The Smoke Podcast alongside Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Kendrick Perkins suggested that James Harden’s visit to strip clubs was a contributing factor to his subpar performance during the 2012 NBA Finals. Perkins, who was a member of the OKC Thunder squad that made the Finals, recalled Harden’s lackluster play in Miami, saying “We couldn’t get that motherf***** to buy a bucket. He didn’t get his rest, he was out all night.”
As an unrestricted free agent, there has been speculation that if the Philadelphia 76ers don’t make it to the NBA Finals this year, Harden may be interested in returning to his former team, the Houston Rockets. Although the Rockets may not be contenders in the near future, Houston is still home for Harden. With the Sixers facing limited roster flexibility this offseason, trading Tobias Harris may be their only option to improve their chances if they are unable to advance past the Celtics in the Eastern Conference. As Harden’s playoff performance has been criticized in the past, with only two Conference Finals appearances in eleven attempts since his trade from OKC, his championship window is closing fast.