James Harden’s Former Coach Isn’t Surprised That He’s Still Performing At This Level

CLEVELAND — The difference between good players and all-time great players often comes down to things that we on the outside don’t see. Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden is an all-time great player. He’s revolutionized how the sport is played, was a perennial MVP candidate in his prime, and has consistently played at an All-Star level for a decade and a half.

Those who’ve been around Harden the longest aren’t surprised that he’s been able to keep up this level of play.

“There’s a reason he’s been doing this as long as he’s been doing it,” Washington Wizards coach Brian Keefe said of Harden. “You don’t do that without being diligent about how you go about your work every day.”

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Keefe and Harden go way back. Keefe was on the staff with the Oklahoma City Thunder when they drafted Harden in 2009, and was with him until he was eventually traded to the Houston Rockets. Then, Keefe was with him again as an assistant when Harden was with the Brooklyn Nets.

Anyone who’s developed a reputation for a prolific nightlife — as Harden has — is often assumed to not be dedicated to their craft. That stereotype isn’t true with Harden. Anyone who’s been around him will tell you that he’s one of the hardest workers they know.

“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.”

That hard work has gone along with someone who sees and processes the game at a high level. There’s no stat or one thing that shows a player thinks the game well, but it has allowed them to continue being effective into his 18th season.

“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.”

The Cavs are hoping that the high IQ and the work that he puts in will allow Harden to continue to play at a high level for at least the next three seasons. The guaranteed three-year, $97 million deal shows that they believe that he will, and that he has the capability to get the most out of Cleveland’s front court of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

Time will catch up to Harden eventually, as it does with every single athlete, but Harden has done his best to stave off Father Time as much as possible. And there’s one main reason behind that.

“You don’t do that without putting the work in,” Keefe said. “He was like that since day one.”