James Harden and Dennis Rodman are both known for eccentric hair and a fondness for strip clubs. But it turns out that they may have more than just that in common.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report detailed the straining of the relationship between Harden and the Brooklyn Nets in a feature published on Tuesday. One notable anecdote was that Harden, while sidelined with a hamstring injury in the final days of his Nets career, did not arrive until halftime for the team’s Feb. 4 game against the Jazz in Utah. After that game, the Nets went ahead with their planned itinerary to fly to Denver for a game with the Nuggets on Feb. 6. But instead of accompanying the team, Harden instead flew to Las Vegas. Harden did eventually meet the team in Denver but also arrived late for that game.
Fischer adds that the short flight from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas for getaways is a Harden favorite, even dating back to his Houston days.
The feature also details the falling out between Harden and Kevin Durant, whom he previously played with on the Oklahoma City Thunder too.
Of course, the midseason Vegas excursion was Rodman’s patented move. ESPN’s “The Last Dance” introduced a whole new generation of viewers to Rodman’s Sin City hijinks while with the Chicago Bulls. One particularly wild Rodman trip to Vegas will even be the subject of an upcoming film.
When it comes to Harden flying from Salt Lake City to Vegas, that is straight out of Rodman’s playbook too. Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan once shared the story of how he partied in Vegas with Rodman in the middle of the Bulls-Jazz NBA Finals, Rodman having flown in right from practice in Salt Lake City.
It is essentially established folklore by now that Harden loves to party. But now it seems that he is partying on a level that can even rival the NBA’s all-time king of hedonism — the bad-as-he-wanted-to-be Rodman.
Photo: Feb 1, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden (13) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
