James Harden is entering his 18th NBA season, and his former coach Brian Keefe believes there’s a simple explanation for why the Cleveland Cavaliers guard continues to perform at such a high level.
Keefe, now head coach of the Washington Wizards, worked with Harden during his early years in Oklahoma City before the two reunited in Brooklyn.
Having witnessed Harden’s development firsthand, Keefe says his longevity comes down to the work he’s consistently put in behind the scenes.
“There’s a reason he’s been doing this as long as he’s been doing it,” Keefe said, according to Fear the Sword. “You don’t do that without being diligent about how you go about your work every day.”
Harden has established himself as one of the NBA’s greatest offensive players, earning an MVP award and multiple All-Star selections throughout his career.
But Keefe believes the dedication Harden showed long before becoming a superstar is what separates him from other players.
“He would come back early in his career, when we had him in Oklahoma, he would come back at night and just shoot and get some extra run in,” Keefe said. “This is not an accident why these guys are good players, and there was no accident why James has become a consistent player for all these years.”
Beyond his work ethic, Keefe also highlighted Harden’s basketball intelligence, something he believes has been evident since the guard entered the league in 2009.
“He was always such a high IQ basketball player, and he was like that from the very beginning,” Keefe said. “He just saw the game so well. I think that’s what has always stood out to me about him is his ability to see all the angles, see all the passes. That was there from the very beginning.”
Cleveland is banking on those qualities continuing, having committed to Harden on a guaranteed three-year, $97 million contract.
The Cavaliers are hoping his playmaking ability can help maximise the potential of their frontcourt pairing of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
While Harden is approaching the later stages of his career, Keefe believes his continued success is no coincidence.
“You don’t do that without putting the work in,” Keefe said. “He was like that since day one.”
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