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Once teammates in Oklahoma City and then in Houston, James Harden and Russell Westbrook go way back. The 2021-22 NBA season will represent a new wrinkle in their relationship with each playing for a top contender – Harden with the Nets in the Eastern Conference, and Westbrook with the Lakers in the West – but their friendship appears intact.
Case in point: Westbrook’s gift for Harden’s 32nd birthday. Harden took to Instagram early Thursday to reveal the Richard Millie watch he received from his former teammate.
“This s*** go forever with me no [cap emoji] I appreciate you,” the Nets superstar captioned the post.
It’s no run-of-the-mill watch. Richard Mille is a Swiss luxury brand whose expensive watches cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
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Harden and Westbrook Reportedly Clashed in Houston
In Houston, the Harden-led Rockets reportedly adopted a casual culture. Harden, a nine-time All-Star, was able to do essentially whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and that laid-back atmosphere was ultimately responsible for the professional relationship between him and Russell Westbrook falling apart, according to a report from ESPN’s Tim MacMahon in January.
Here’s MacMahon elaborating more on the breakdown:
Westbrook didn’t tolerate tardiness. With the Rockets, scheduled departure times were treated as mere suggestions by Harden and others.
“Nothing ever starts on time,” a former Rockets staffer said. “The plane is always late. The bus is never on time. … It’s just an organized AAU team.”
On one occasion in the Florida bubble, Harden waited to get his daily COVID-19 testing until just before the Rockets’ film session was scheduled to start. When he wasn’t on time, Westbrook barked, “Start the film! Start without him!” D’Antoni explained that they’d just have to start over when Harden arrived, which didn’t do much to calm Westbrook.
Whether Westbrook or Harden wanted out first isn’t clear, but they no longer wanted to play together, a season after the Rockets mortgaged their draft future to make it happen.
Still, while Westbrook and Harden went their separate ways from there – Westbrook was traded to the Washington Wizards before eventually winding up in Los Angeles – it’s clear that their off-the-court relationship isn’t fractured.
Westbrook’s birthday gift to Harden – and Harden’s response – is ample proof.
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Will the Nets Extend Harden?
The Nets have already reached an extension with one member of their Big Three in Kevin Durant. Could Harden and Kyrie Irving be next?
According to one Nets beat reporter, the answer is a firm “yes.”
Alex Schiffer of The Athletic recently was asked about the two superstars being extended, and he answered in a mailbag.
“I would be stunned if both Kyrie Irving and James Harden aren’t extended by the start of the season,” Schiffer wrote. “[Nets general manager] Sean Marks said he expects it to get done and former Nets assistant GM Bobby Marks said on ESPN after Durant’s extension broke that he expects Harden to be the next domino to fall. I don’t see either of them going anywhere.”
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