INGLEWOOD — His brilliantly colored shoes dazzle us. His local charity work touches us. His grooming products consume us. Yet, through all of James Harden’s off-court endeavors, his dynamic basketball skills continue to wow NBA fans.
At 35, Harden isn’t slowing down. Not in business or basketball. Not in his work with overlooked communities or line of beard kits and certainly not in leading the Clippers this season.
With six-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard sidelined with lingering knee issues and nine-time All-Star Paul George gone to the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency, Harden has stepped up as the team’s leader this season. Not only does the former league MVP run the floor, partner with center Ivica Zubac in pick-and-rolls, and ensure balanced passing among the other starters, he is averaging 22.1 points and 8.3 assists in nearly 34 minutes per game this season.
“I make sure I communicate, but not overcommunicate and not overdo it,” said Harden, who re-signed with the team this summer on a two-year, $70 million deal. “When I see opportunities to voice my opinion and lead by example, I will.”
Coach Tyronn Lue said Harden has not only carried the team but made “guys better.”
“He’s scoring the basketball when we need him to, but just all around, he has been doing a great job for us,” Lue said of a player who has led the league in scoring three times. “We need every bit of it.”
Harden put on a vintage display against the Utah Jazz on Monday night, scoring 41 points and handing out six assists while wearing the latest version of his signature Adidas Volume 9 shoes – an eye-catching shiny chrome beauty. It was his second 40-point game this season, having scored 43 against the Washington Wizards last month.
The future Hall of Famer said that his consistently high-level play, especially after 16 years in the league, comes down to balance and doing the right thing every day, not his shoes.
“You take care of your body, you do the things that’s necessary to be out there to play at a high level, whether it’s treatment, weightlifting, then you still got to go out there and do things on the court to make sure your skill set set is where it needs to be,” he said.
“Then you got games, you got practice, you got family time, then you got the business time. So, it’s the balance of what’s important and things like that.”
The 10-time All-Star soon won’t have to do all of the heavy lifting on the court. Leonard participated in his first 5-on-5 full contact practice Wednesday and will accompany the team when the Clippers (15-12) travel to Dallas (17-9) for two games starting Thursday. He has not played in a game since last spring’s first-round playoff series against the Mavericks.
Leonard will not play on this trip, but his return is another indication he is progressing toward a return to the lineup. Lue told reporters that the two-time NBA Finals MVP is “getting more excited” at the prospect of playing again.
“He’s inching his way back towards the court and is taking his time whenever he’s ready,” Harden said. “We’re ready for him.”
Harden began preparing the Clippers during the summer for a season without Leonard, who had an offseason knee procedure that caused lingering inflammation. The veteran guard assumed the leadership role during training camp by working out alongside the other players and organizing a team-bonding softball game.
“During the summer he was working out with the young guys,” Clippers guard Norman Powell said on Draymond Green’s podcast. “We’re doing deep test conditioning. Running up and down the floor, and he’s right along with them. … I think that builds trust, that builds chemistry. Like if James is in here doing this then I have too as well.”
Harden, who continues to climb the NBA’s career lists for scoring (17th through Tuesday), assists (14th) and 3-pointers (2nd), has transferred his leadership role to games as he often pulls aside younger players on the court to share tips borne of experience.
Before the season, Lue called Harden a great leader on and off the floor. “He was in the same situation a lot of times in Houston, so he’s up for a challenge,” Lue said.
Maybe too much. Lue said he constantly reminds Harden that he’s not a young player anymore.
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“When you’re playing 35, 36 minutes a night, you got to, as you get older … tailor it back a little bit,” Lue said. “Don’t overwork yourself because it’s a lot of games, a lot of minutes.”
The heavy minutes might be to blame for his career-low 39.1% shooting from the field and 35.3% from 3-point range. He also is turning the ball over 4.5 times per game, prompting Lue to talk to Harden about his shot selection.
“If he has a bad shooting night, the next night he’s probably going to come back and play well,” Lue said. “That’s what good players do. They bounce back. We’ve asked him to do a lot. He’s carried a load offensively, making the right passes, reads and also scoring the basketball. And at 35 years old, that can get tiring. So, we are asking a lot of him.”
CLIPPERS AT MAVERICKS
When: Thursday, 5:30 p.m. PT
Where: American Airlines Center, Dallas
TV/radio: FDSNSC/570 AM