James Harden had a remarkable three-year run during his stint with the Houston Rockets, which some players found unbelievable. During that stretch, he averaged 33.7 points, 7.9 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. “The Beard” won the scoring crown during that span and earned the 2017-18 NBA MVP.
On the “Club 520 Podcast,” former NBA player Jeff Teague claimed that Harden “could score a little better than Kobe [Bryant].” DeMar DeRozan, the show’s guest and somebody who idolizes the LA Lakers legend, responded:
“The run James [Harden] had was f**king…that ain’t even a video game. That s**t was like some f**king Space Jam s**t. … 40 [points], 45, 15 assists, 10 rebounds. That run he had was f**king incredible and the s**t looked like it was with no effort.”
DeRozan went further:
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“People are so sensitive when it come to certain s**t. That run James had was the most incredible s**t I’ve ever seen. … Kobe [Bryant] was my GOAT, all that and everything, but what’s real is real. The s**t James was doing, I don’t think we’ll ever see that again.”
James Harden’s most impressive run might have been the 2018-19 campaign. The Rockets superstar averaged 36.1 PPG, the most by a player since Michael Jordan’s 37.1 PPG during the 1986-87 season.
Only the late Wilt Chamberlain posted better single-season scoring averages than them in NBA history. The “Big Dipper” had campaigns where he averaged 37.6 PPG, 38.4 PPG, 50.4 PPG, 44.8 PPG and 36.9 PPG.
DeMar DeRozan had a front-row ticket to some of those mind-boggling games as he was with the San Antonio Spurs from 2018-19 to 2020-21.
DeMar DeRozan saw James Harden drop 61 points against him in March 2019
On March 20, 2019, the Houston Rockets lost 126-125 in overtime to the Memphis Grizzlies despite James Harden scoring 57 points. A frustrated Harden told reporters after the game that he had to be better.
Two nights later, the Rockets hosted the San Antonio Spurs. “The Beard” backed up his vow, giving DeMar DeRozan and Co. a rude welcome in Houston. The then-scoring champ erupted for 61 points, hitting 19-of-34 shots, including 9-for-13 3-pointers. Harden added seven rebounds, three steals and one assist to his tally. Despite the explosion, the Rockets barely held on for a 111-105 victory.
DeMar DeRozan finished that game with 16 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and one steal. Like his teammates, they couldn’t do much to slow down James Harden that night. What Harden did in that game was probably one of the reasons why “Deebo” thought he witnessed “Space Jam s**t.”
