After the Nets faced the Rockets in Houston on March 3, it was clear James Harden still had strong ties to many members of the organization he played with for eight full seasons. Harden shook hands and even hugged a few of his ex-teammates after that win by Brooklyn.
On Thursday, it was clear yet again that Harden’s influence in Houston is still being felt.
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Rockets Newcomer Asked About Harden
Kevin Porter Jr., who has a strong relationship with Harden, made his Rockets debut on Thursday after being called up from the G-League late last week. After Houston’s 125-105 loss to the Sacramento Kings, the up-and-comer was asked about the Nets star.
“That’s my big brother,” Porter said of Harden, via Mark Berman of Fox 26 in Houston.”I definitely watch him a lot. We talk a lot. He gives me some keys so I can have an advantage. I feel like we do play similar, but I think it’s just ‘cause we’re both lefties and we both like that step-back.”
That’s when Porter paused, allowed a smile to escape him, and continued: “I’m way more athletic though, for sure. I’ll dunk on James.”
Kevin Porter Jr on James Harden (@JHarden13): “That’s my big brother. I definitely watch him a lot. We talk a lot. He gives me some keys so I can have an advantage. I feel like we do play similar..I’m way more athletic though for sure. I’ll dunk on James.”
Porter definitely has time on his side in that regard. The 20-year-old, who was selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2019 draft, is 11 years younger than The Beard.
Every other advantage belongs to Harden, who in his 12th season has thrust himself into the MVP discussion with his 25.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and league-leading 11.4 assists since joining the Nets on January 14.
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Harden and Porter Have a Strong Relationship
Porter was traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Rockets on January 21, a few days after Houston shipped Harden to Brooklyn in a mega four-team deal. So the two lefties didn’t have the chance to overlap as teammates.
According to the The Akron Beacon Journal, Porter said he trained with Harden during the summer of 2019. After they faced off for the first time in December 2019 — Porter was with the Cavs at the time, and Harden with the Rockets — Porter said Harden gave him a simple message.
″‘Just keep going,”’ Porter said Harden told him, per the Beacon Journal. “Me and him are very close. Definitely a big brother to me and one of my idols in the league.”
Porter, a USC product, played 29 minutes in his Rockets debut and provided an immediate impact. The 6-foot-4 guard had 13 points on 5-of-13 shooting and a game-high 10 assists. The Rockets have veteran guards John Wall (left knee contusion) and Eric Gordon (right groin strain) sidelined by injury, meaning Porter is poised for even more playing time in the immediate future.
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Rockets Newcomer Takes Friendly Jab at James Harden