Houston Rockets All-Star James Harden spoke with members of the media on Friday morning as part of media day. During his appearance, the former No. 3 overall pick noted that he would like to play in Tokyo’s 2020 Olympics:
Harden said playing on the Olympic team is “one of my goals.”
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) September 27, 2019
Harden is no stranger to international play, as he has already won gold medals — one in the 2012 London Olympics and another at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain. He was a candidate for the 2016 Olympics, but he ultimately decided to withdraw from the team.
The Beard is coming off a fantastic season with the Rockets. He made 78 regular-season appearances with the team, racking up averages of 36.1 points on 44.2 percent shooting from the field (36.8 percent from beyond the arc), 7.5 assists, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 36.8 minutes per outing. His 36.1 points per game set a new career high.
Harden has been reunited with his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate, Russell Westbrook. Some experts questioned the move, as they are both prolific scorers and ball handlers. However, Harden says the pairing is “going to be a lot of fun” this season:
“When I left OKC, I was sad. Then Houston made a home for me. Rockets is my home. And now an opportunity came available where Russ wasn’t happy. Now we’re back. It’s going to be a lot of fun this year, I guarantee you that.”
James Harden on Westbrook trade: “When I left OKC I was sad. Then Houston made a home for me. Rockets is my home. And now an opportunity came available where Russ wasn’t happy. Now we’re back. It’s going to be a lot of fun this year, I guarantee you that.“ pic.twitter.com/tBhAxDq5uQ
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) July 12, 2019
Whether or not Harden will indeed participate in the 2020 Olympic Games remains to be seen, but it sounds like he’s seriously considering the option.
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