Donovan Mitchell believes James Harden’s legacy has been unfairly diminished because he has not won an NBA championship.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Mitchell was asked about Harden’s influence and how impressive it is that the 18-year veteran continues to perform at a high level. Mitchell, now Harden’s teammate with the Cleveland Cavaliers, immediately pointed to the championship discussion as the reason Harden does not receive the same recognition as other all-time greats.
“The only reason why he’s not talked about in that realm was because of the championship conversation,” Mitchell said. “But I’ve always known it being around him, right?”
Mitchell said seeing Harden operate every day in training camp has reinforced his belief that the veteran deserves more credit.
“But when you’re his teammate, I think it brings it to a whole different level,” Mitchell said. “Just seeing him in camp, right? Seeing his influence on the group, seeing his conversation, seeing his passion behind winning, passion behind intention, and trying to be the best at what he does.”
The Cavaliers acquired Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers at the February trade deadline in exchange for Darius Garland and later re-signed him to a three-year, $96.54 million contract. Harden averaged 23.6 points, 8.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds in 70 games between the Clippers and Cavaliers last season, shooting 43.4% from the field and 37.5% from three-point range.
Mitchell argued that Harden’s lack of a championship cannot simply be attributed to his individual performance.
“I think you really don’t truly understand something until you see it on a daily basis,” Mitchell said. “And I mean, yeah, like understanding that like sure he hasn’t, you know, won a championship or whatever, but he was one injury, one little inch away from being in the finals, right?”
Mitchell also referenced other circumstances that affected Harden’s playoff opportunities.
“One year, the other year, I think CP gets hurt, right? Like so situational things. There’s so many things that play into it, bro. I don’t think it was just him.”
Harden has reached the NBA Finals once, with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012, but has never won a championship. He won the 2017-18 MVP award with Houston and has been selected to 11 All-Star teams and six All-NBA first teams.
For Mitchell, Harden’s daily preparation provides a more meaningful assessment than the absence of a championship on his résumé.
“You just see his level of hunger,” Mitchell said. “After practice, I don’t know if you guys ever watch him, but he’s on the treadmill trying to find a way. If he runs stairs after practice, he’s holding everybody accountable in drills.”
Mitchell added that Harden’s work ethic has become a source of motivation for the Cavaliers.
“I feel like I work extremely hard, but, you know, trying to like it’s a competition. You’re trying to outwork, trying to always, and that helps the group get better.”
Harden’s veteran presence is now part of Cleveland’s attempt to turn its Mitchell-led roster into a championship contender. Mitchell signed a new maximum extension in July, while the Cavaliers also added Peyton Watson and retained their core around Mitchell, Harden, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
