<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-tyronn-lue-derrick-jones-jr-react-first-game-intuit-dome');   ga('set', 'title', 'James Harden, Tyronn Lue, Derrick Jones Jr. react to first Clippers game at Intuit Dome');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/James-Harden-Tyronn-Lue-Derrick-Jones-Jr.-Intuit-Dome-Los-Angeles-Clippers.jpg"></figure><h1>James Harden, Tyronn Lue, Derrick Jones Jr. react to first Clippers game at Intuit Dome</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T15:45:21-07:00">October 15th, 3:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T15:47:22-07:00">October 15th, 3:47pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his off time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>INGLEWOOD, CA — After more than six of discussion, planning, and preparing, the Los Angeles Clippers finally <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-first-look-at-las-new-logos-uniforms">opened their new home</a> in Inglewood, California. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-fans-react-steve-ballmers-intuit-dome-features">Intuit Dome opened</a> in August, but hosted its first basketball game on Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks.</p><p>The Clippers defeated the Mavs, 110-96, in the Intuit Dome preseason opener. Kevin Porter Jr. leading the way with 18 points, five rebounds, six assists, and three steals in 19 minutes of play. Six Clippers players reached double-figure scoring, while Ivica Zubac (11 points, 12 rebounds) and James Harden (10 points, 12 assists) both recorded double-doubles.</p><h2><b>Clippers finally host a game at Intuit Dome</b></h2><p>From the moment fans step onto the lot where the Intuit Dome stands, there’s an immediate rush of exhilaration. It was a only a little over three years ago, well into the COVID-19 pandemic, that the <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1438928969647071233" rel="noopener">Clippers officially broke ground</a> on the new stadium.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The LA Clippers have officially broken ground on their new arena, the Intuit Dome. <a href="https://t.co/3vpyJYxv3t">pic.twitter.com/3vpyJYxv3t</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1438928969647071233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It took a few minutes for fans to navigate through the halls of the Dome, but they quickly found their seats and tuned into the show. The NBA’s official boxscore states that 13,400 fans attended the preseason opener on Monday night.</p><p>“I love it,” Derrick Jones Jr. said after <a href="https://twitter.com/FlyByKnite/status/1846019012809183285" rel="noopener">scoring the first ever basket</a> at the arena. “The arena is nice as—. Sorry I was about to curse. The arena is really amazing. I definitely like this. This is probably one of the best arenas that I’ve ever stepped foot in and the practice facility as well, so I’m glad I’m here being able to be there and playing the in Intuit Dome and be the first team that’s getting that floor right.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Derrick Jones Jr. has the first Clippers basket at Intuit Dome. <a href="https://t.co/Jk39Ldmr92">pic.twitter.com/Jk39Ldmr92</a></p><p>— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) <a href="https://twitter.com/FlyByKnite/status/1846019012809183285?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>James Harden, who is going to be tasked with leading this team in Kawhi Leonard’s absence, said he had a great time despite it only being a preseason game.</p><p>“It’s crackin’!” Harden smiled. “It’s crackin’ in here. Preseason game but just to see the screen and the fans and the lights all around the seats, it’s gonna be a good season for us. It’s gonna be fun to watch.”</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Fans-at-The-Wall-of-Intuit-Dome-during-Clippers-Mavericks-game.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Intuit Dome has a different setup from other NBA arenas in that the baseline closest to the Clippers bench has a normal bowl shape while the one by the opposing team’s bench features, “The Wall.”</p><p>One might think that the depth perception might mess with players one half versus the other, but Harden says it’s nothing that he considers bothersome.</p><p>“Once we get in there a little bit more, get a little bit more comfortable,” Harden explained. “But I’m just excited about the whole atmosphere in this building. I think the city of L.A. is excited about it as well.</p><p>“I think that was just a quarter of what was going on. I think Steve [Ballmer] didn’t want to give y’all the whole rundown of what’s going down. He’s holding back for y’all. He said you gotta be there on the 23rd to witness it.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Halo Board here at Intuit Dome looks very dope, but it’s not fully operational until opening night.</p><p>Clippers have a full unveil planned for when they host the Suns on October 23rd. <a href="https://t.co/gBK1NBjIVi">pic.twitter.com/gBK1NBjIVi</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1846026321899749652?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The Clippers confirmed that while the Halo Board was functional and displaying a number of stats on Monday night, the team has a full unveil of the board saved for the season opener against the Phoenix Suns on October 23rd.</p><p>“It’s beautiful,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd added. “To be able to practice here yesterday and have shootaround here, they did an incredible job. I think the Clippers fans should be happy. I think when you look at the fan experience, it’s gonna be like no other, so it’s exciting to be the first visiting team here tonight to experience that.”</p><p>The Wall was on full display with fans standing for most of the night and in the ears of Mavs players. With the seats in close proximity to the Mavs bench, it will surely be a long season for opposing teams from that perspective.</p><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Inside-the-LA-Clippers-Intuit-Dome.jpg"><figcaption>Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>“It’s a great feeling to have a place to call home,” Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue added. “I think our guys are very excited about it, our whole organization is very excited about it. Tonight, our fans got a chance to see a part of it.</p><p>“I loved it. I thought the crowd was great and the wall was really great. They did a goos job just being loud and being disruptive. That’s what we need. it felt good to actually be at home. To give the crowd a good game, we always play better, but I thought we played hard, we competed, we scrapped, and that’s what the fans want to see.”</p><p>The Clippers will play one more preseason game on Thursday, October 17th against the Sacramento Kings. Kawhi Leonard as well as James Harden will not play in that one, and not many other starters are expected to either.</p><p>That will be the final game before the Clippers officially open up the Intuit Dome on Wednesday, October 23rd when James Harden and the Clippers host Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and the Phoenix Suns.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

James Harden, Tyronn Lue, Derrick Jones Jr. react to first Clippers game at Intuit Dome

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-cryptic-kawhi-leonard-injury-update-james-harden-leadership-role');   ga('set', 'title', 'Clippers’ cryptic Kawhi Leonard injury update hints at James Harden leadership role');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Kawhi-Leonard-gets-injury-update-James-Harden-prepares-to-lead-LA.jpg"></figure><h1>Clippers’ cryptic Kawhi Leonard injury update hints at James Harden leadership role</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-15T07:09:36-07:00">October 15th, 7:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-15T12:18:46-07:00">October 15th, 12:18pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his off time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>INGLEWOOD, CA — With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/6-must-watch-clippers-games-2024-25-schedule">one preseason game</a> on tap, James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers are preparing for regular season <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-kawhi-leonard-breaks-silence-on-knee-injury">life without Kawhi Leonard</a>. Head coach Tyronn Lue spoke with members of the media at Tuesday’s Intuit Dome preseason opener, where he all but confirmed that Leonard’s status for the start of the regular season is in doubt.</p><h2><b>Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard gets injury update</b></h2><p>Kawhi Leonard has not played in any of the Clippers’ preseason games, missing four of the five games so far. Tyronn Lue said Leonard would not play in the team’s preseason finale on Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings, effectively ruling him out for the entire preseason.</p><p>“He won’t play Thursday,” Lue said of Kawhi Leonard. “[The plan is for him to] Continue to keep rehabbing, keep getting better, and keep checking the boxes.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Tyronn Lue says Kawhi Leonard will not play today or Thursday, so he’s out for the whole Clippers’ preseason.</p><p>What’s he gonna do this week?</p><p>“Continue to keep rehabbing, keep getting better, and keep checking the boxes.” <a href="https://t.co/HdNEildjUo">pic.twitter.com/HdNEildjUo</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1845993877893009714?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>What those boxes currently entail, however, nobody is quite sure. Through two weeks of training camp, Leonard has yet to participate in any of the Clippers’ practices or drills, instead only taking part in individual workouts.</p><p>In his time in Honolulu, Oceanside, and Seattle, Leonard wasn’t even seen touching a basketball during the portion of practice open to the media.</p><p>“Not right now,” Leonard told reporters in Hawaii when asked if he’d begun his ramp-up process. “We’re just taking it slow, taking it day by day, and just trying to get me back on the floor.</p><p>“It’s not really based on how I’m feeling. It’s more of just listening to the doctors and seeing what I can do to prevent what I have been doing because I’ve been doing a lot. A lot of stuff that probably has me where I am now.”</p><p>A source not authorized to speak publicly said the team is simply preparing as if Leonard will not be available until he is which, to be fair, is not unlike prior years that the Clippers have had to deal with his absences.</p><p>President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank said the team would prioritize strengthening Kawhi Leonard’s knee in the preseason as part of a lengthy effort to minimize the inflammation in his right knee.</p><p>The team has not reported anything yet, but as of right now, it does not appear that Kawhi Leonard will be ready for the regular season opener against the Phoenix Suns on October 23rd, and likely beyond that. The closer this team gets to that date, the more and more it appears this will be James Harden’s team in the immediate future.</p><h2><b>James Harden expected to lead Clippers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/James-Harden-1.jpg"><figcaption>Steven Bisig-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Harden took the initiative to start the Clippers’ mini-camp at Arizona State, hosting his teammates in a week of workouts and bonding before training camp. He’s taken on the role of lead playmaker and scorer on this team and done this as he works in the best shape he’s been in since 2019.</p><p>When asked about Harden’s ability to lead the Clippers now that Kawhi Leonard is likely going to miss a bit of time, Lue affirmed his belief in Harden.</p><p>“Yes, I think so,” Lue confirmed. “He’s been great. All of camp, we did a lot of running, and he told me in Seattle, when we left the football game, ‘you got 12 more days of his s**t and I’m never going to run like this anymore.’ But he’s done all the right things. He’s been 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 the challenge.”</p><p>Without Leonard for the time being, the Clippers have trotted out a starting lineup of Harden, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Derrick Jones Jr., and Ivica Zubac. <a href="https://x.com/TomerAzarly/status/1846054887731413429" rel="noopener">Tyronn Lue all but confirmed</a> that those five players will be starting together when the team opens up the season.</p><p>“We’ve been putting the work in,” <a href="https://x.com/TomerAzarly/status/1846071772648820893" rel="noopener">Harden explained</a>. “Basically, it started this entire summer. It’s a process for us, but it’s fun. We have a lot of new guys, but it’s fun. We’re getting after it defensively. Offensively, we’re learning each other. It’s gonna be some excitement around this building.”</p><p>And before reports start floating about Harden’s unhappiness or impatience, Leonard’s injury rehab is not affecting or concerning Harden, one source with knowledge of his thinking told ClutchPoints. The 10-time NBA All-Star and 2018 Most Valuable Player is ecstatic to be home and remains laser-focused on leading this team alongside Tyronn Lue.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">James Harden on the starting 5 with him, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Derrick Jones Jr., and Ivica Zubac:</p><p>“We've been putting the work in. Basically starting this entire summer. It's a process for us, but it's fun. We have a lot of new guys, but it's fun. We're getting after it… <a href="https://t.co/5BU5Yj2std">pic.twitter.com/5BU5Yj2std</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1846071772648820893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 15, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Harden, who hasn’t been asked to be a number one scoring and playmaking option on a team since he was a member of the Houston Rockets in 2020, says nothing has changed as far as his abilities go.</p><p>“[I bring] myself,” James Harden said with a laugh. “I’m the same person. That was just me sacrificing to try to chase something that I haven’t accomplished before. But I’m the same person.”</p><p>The Clippers’ opener against the Phoenix Suns is set to tip off at 7:30 PM PST on October 23rd. It’s the first of a six-game stretch to open up the season against the Suns twice, Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, Portland Trail Blazers, and Oklahoma City Thunder.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Clippers’ cryptic Kawhi Leonard injury update hints at James Harden leadership role

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-hardens-new-step-back-move-has-fans-going-wild');   ga('set', 'title', 'James Harden’s new step-back move has fans going wild');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Los-Angeles-Clippers-James-Harden.jpg"><figcaption>CP</figcaption></figure><h1>James Harden’s new step-back move has fans going wild</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-11T18:14:31-07:00">October 11th, 6:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-11T18:15:28-07:00">October 11th, 6:15pm</time><address><a>Tomer Azarly</a>Tomer Azarly is in his ninth season as the LA Clippers beat writer and NBA reporter for ClutchPoints. From the Lob City era to the Kawhi Leonard-Paul George era, he brings you everything you need to know about the Clippers as well as coast-to-coast coverage of the NBA.In his off time, Tomer likes to play basketball, video games, and draw.You can follow his Twitter for all Clippers content.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden has been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-news-james-harden-uses-luka-doncic-call-out-haters">revolutionizing the game</a> of basketball over the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nets-news-james-harden-epic-reaction-to-making-nba-top-75-list">last decade</a>. From the moment he got to Houston, Harden’s all-world talent and heliocentric style of play took centerstage.</p><p>In the very early preseason portions of the 2024-25 NBA season, <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1844454410673586301" rel="noopener">Harden already appears</a> to be teasing a new move.</p><h2><b>Clippers’ James Harden shows off new move</b></h2><p>During the LA Clippers’ preseason opener against the Golden State Warriors in Hawaii, James Harden played 18 minutes, all in the first half. He finished with 13 points, two rebounds, eight assists, and two steals on just 2-of-6 shooting from the field. One of those missed shot attempts was a step-back that no one had ever seen before.</p><p>With Trayce Jackson-Davis defending him on the sideline closest to the Clippers bench, James Harden <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPassion_com/status/1842842021901349043" rel="noopener">faked a pass and stepped back</a> into a three-pointer. The shot finished way short, getting all air, but it did intrigue a lot of fans who had never seen the move done before.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="it">James Harden ha un nuovo movimento: step back (contro il lungo, ma perché) con finta di passaggio incorporato… e airball 💀👻 <a href="https://t.co/SwBpqXn9EF">pic.twitter.com/SwBpqXn9EF</a></p><p>— NBAPassion.com (@NBAPassion_com) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPassion_com/status/1842842021901349043?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>After their return back to Los Angeles, Harden was seen finishing a workout with Clippers assistant coaches. On one of the final shots, <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1844454410673586301" rel="noopener">Harden did the exact same</a> fake-pass step-back into a three-pointer before looking at the cameras filming as the shot went in.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">James Harden shoots a corner 3 to close out his warm up and looks/points at the camera as the shot goes in 😂 <a href="https://t.co/uO2kELhowR">pic.twitter.com/uO2kELhowR</a></p><p>— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomerAzarly/status/1844454410673586301?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Needless to say, fans are all over this new move, which Harden airballed once and made the other.</p><h2><b>Fans react to James Harden’s new move</b></h2><p>James Harden’s new move used both in a preseason game and at practice already has fans thinking he’ll be busting it out at some point during the regular season.</p><p>Harden’s former Houston Rockets teammate Patrick Beverley, who is currently playing overseas in Israel, had to try the move for himself. Beverley took to Twitter after watching Harden attempt the move and posted a video of his own step-back.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Had to try it today 🔥🔥🔥 <a href="https://t.co/AjZwMectQM">https://t.co/AjZwMectQM</a> <a href="https://t.co/7XcFTuXhOs">pic.twitter.com/7XcFTuXhOs</a></p><p>— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) <a href="https://twitter.com/patbev21/status/1843014125863211088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Critics and fans alike let their feelings be known about Harden’s move.</p><p>“Had to try it today 🔥🔥🔥,” said Patrick Beverley.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pass fake side step is crazy 😂😂</p><p>— Bhart (@itsbhart) <a href="https://twitter.com/itsbhart/status/1842727692690415755?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Real ones remember this “new move” he did in the 2019 preseason,” Twitter/X user KingBacca22x added.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Real ones remember this “new move” he did in the 2019 preseason <a href="https://t.co/Yz5L8Ri8eZ">https://t.co/Yz5L8Ri8eZ</a> <a href="https://t.co/k1aZ84QlmS">pic.twitter.com/k1aZ84QlmS</a></p><p>— Omar (@KingBacca22x) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingBacca22x/status/1842725638429381012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Lmfao imma try this in a pickup game🤣🤣🤣,” Twitter/X user young saucy said.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lmfao imma try this in a pickup game🤣🤣🤣 <a href="https://t.co/kpk9S3RsrW">https://t.co/kpk9S3RsrW</a></p><p>— Kaelen (@youngsaucy55) <a href="https://twitter.com/youngsaucy55/status/1844600894710743143?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>A few other fans on social media noted how beautiful the Clippers new practice facility inside the Intuit Dome looks.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">That practice facility is stupid lmao (complimentary) <a href="https://t.co/XbVgJiVRek">https://t.co/XbVgJiVRek</a></p><p>— ℵ (@nicktharula) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicktharula/status/1844731813798818102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">See better training facility man <a href="https://t.co/JTvKEpIk9W">https://t.co/JTvKEpIk9W</a></p><p>— Biliameen (@Second_Son05) <a href="https://twitter.com/Second_Son05/status/1844804333856080136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">That facility is beautiful omg <a href="https://t.co/kVvLoOGd2I">https://t.co/kVvLoOGd2I</a></p><p>— 𝕁𝕊𝕞𝕠𝕠𝕥𝕙 (@J2Smooth21) <a href="https://twitter.com/J2Smooth21/status/1844885335013998979?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>James Harden has appeared in both of the Clippers’ preseason games this season. After scoring 13 points with eight assists in the first game against the Warriors, Harden recorded 14 points, four rebounds, and two assists on 6-of-9 shooting against the Brooklyn Nets. He played 17 minutes, all in the first half again, before calling it a night.</p><p>As of October 11th, Clippers star Kawhi Leonard still has not participated in any practices with the team. Clippers opening night is scheduled for October 23rd against the Phoenix Suns, so it’s appearing more and more likely that James Harden will be leading the Clippers as a number one scoring option in 11 days.</p><p>The Clippers have three remaining preseason contests: Friday, October 11th against the Portland Trail Blazers, Monday, October 14th against the Dallas Mavericks, and Thursday, October 17th against the Sacramento Kings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

James Harden’s new step-back move has fans going wild

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-stephen-curry-nice-gesture-james-harden-presason');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Stephen Curry gets nice gesture from James Harden before preseason clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Warriors-news-Stephen-Curry-gets-nice-gesture-from-James-Harden-before-presason-clash.jpg"></figure><h1>Warriors’ Stephen Curry gets nice gesture from James Harden before preseason clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-05T17:22:54-07:00">October 5th, 5:22pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-05T17:22:54-07:00">October 5th, 5:22pm</time><address><a>Matt De Lima</a>Matt De Lima is an Associate Editor for NFL and college football at ClutchPoints. He has been covering sports for over 12 years at sites like Sports Illustrated, The Game Day, and countless others. Born and raised in California, he is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a diehard Hokies fan who now resides in southern Maryland.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Ahead of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-andrew-wiggins-final-preseason-opener-status">Golden State Warriors’ first preseason game</a>, Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard James Harden was having some fun by joining the screaming fans in cheering for Stephen Curry as he <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1842700752042783205" rel="noopener">walked on the court</a> before the game. Harden’s yell of Steph’s name can barely be heard over the roar of the crowd.</p><p>“Curryyyy!!”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">James Harden: “Curryyyy”</p><p>James Harden joined the crowd in screaming Steph Curry's name, and the two exchanged a laugh 😂</p><p>(via <a href="https://twitter.com/joeylinn_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@joeylinn_</a>)<br> <a href="https://t.co/qKeh0ZY4AP">pic.twitter.com/qKeh0ZY4AP</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1842700752042783205?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 5, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>It’s hard to know what to expect with the Warriors and Clippers this year. It’s probably not going to be a very fun season for either team.</p><p>Paul George is no longer in LA and joined the Philadelphia 76ers. It’s unclear when Kawhi Leonard will be able to play. And Harden isn’t getting any younger, now 35 years old.</p><p>Klay Thompson is on the Dallas Mavericks. Buddy Hield is an excellent shooter to take his place, but Golden State is in a new era. Jonathan Kuminga, entering his fourth season with Golden State, must continue to provide a scoring spark in an expanded role. Brandin Podziemski, the Warriors’ 2023 first-round pick, will be tasked to play big minutes this year as well. A thin frontcourt could be exposed if any Draymond Green antics result in a suspension (whether imposed by the NBA or the team.)</p><h2><b>Projecting the 2024-25 Golden State Warriors</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Warriors-Stephen-Curry-driving-the-ball-to-the-hoop.jpg"><figcaption>© Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It seems almost hard to believe that the Warriors are only a couple of years removed from winning a title, their fourth in eight years. Fans and pundits were talking about a dynasty. But the 2022-23 season resulted in a first-round bounce against the Los Angeles Lakers as the No. 6 seed, and the Warriors couldn’t even eke out a playoff spot, finishing 10th in the West.</p><p>The Chris Paul experiment had obviously failed. The departure of Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards proved to cost the Warriors too much offense. Andrew Wiggins wasn’t the same or as consistent as he was during their previous title run. So, where do the Warriors go from here? This makes <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/timberwolves-news-karl-anthony-towns-relives-draymond-green-rudy-gobert-chokehold">more headlines from Draymond Green’s antics</a> that their wins on the court.</p><p>If you ask Green, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/warriors-news-draymond-green-sounds-off-with-defiant-stephen-curry-championship-rant">Warriors will get back to their winning ways</a> by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5814850/2024/10/03/draymond-green-warriors-championship-training-camp/" rel="noopener">sheer force of will</a>, per Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic.</p><p>“I know I ain’t done. I know [Curry] ain’t done. So it ain’t like, ‘All right, I feel like I’m at the end. I’m cashing it in.’ Nah. We can do that s**t again. I know we can do it again. I’m not a part of the consortium that don’t think we can get it done,” Green said.</p><p>The 2024-25 NBA regular season begins on Tuesday, October 22.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Stephen Curry gets nice gesture from James Harden before preseason clash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/clippers-news-james-harden-legacy-paul-george-departure');   ga('set', 'title', 'James Harden cites ‘legacy’ for sticking with Clippers after Paul George’s departure');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/James-Harden-cites-legacy-for-sticking-with-LA-after-Paul-Georges-departure.jpg"></figure><h1>James Harden cites ‘legacy’ for sticking with Clippers after Paul George’s departure</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-10-01T08:22:44-07:00">October 1st, 8:22am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-10-01T08:22:44-07:00">October 1st, 8:22am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Los Angeles Clippers point guard James Harden committed his loyalty to the franchise during Monday’s media day <a href="https://x.com/TomerAzarly/status/1840847913540599828" rel="noopener">for a reason that some wouldn’t expect</a>.</p><p>“I’m home… I’m home and I don’t plan on going anywhere else,” Harden said. “I want to leave a legacy, especially having that opportunity here at home. I love everything that we’re doing. A lot of outsiders and people who are analysts or whatever you want to call them don’t really have high expectations for us but we have high expectations for ourselves. I’ve never missed the playoffs my entire career, so I feel our entire team, we have a lot to prove.”</p><p>After the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/grading-76ers-212-million-paul-george-max-contract-in-free-agency">Clippers lost Paul George in free agency</a> with the Philadelphia 76ers, it was uncertain what the future of the team would look like. Luckily, the franchise has Harden’s word about staying with them. However, there is some skepticism about what he said.</p><p>Harden has a history of jumping from team to team in the last four seasons. He went from the Houston Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets, to the 76ers, and now with the Clippers. On the Nets and 76ers, he teamed up with a variety of superstars but was unable to reach his goal of an NBA Championship, or even reach the NBA Finals.</p><h2><b>Can James Harden leave a legacy with the Clippers?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/James-Harden-wants-to-cement-a-legacy-with-the-Clippers.jpg"><figcaption>© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Still, the Clippers have their facilitator who has his legacy. He’s won <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hardeja01.html" rel="noopener">three MVP trophies, led the league in scoring three times, and is a two-time assists leader</a>. The statistics cannot be overlooked but his playoff resume isn’t as close to dominant as the regular season.<br><br>Despite the Clippers making the playoffs when Harden arrived, they didn’t surpass the first round. However, in the 2020-21 season, they made it to the Western Conference Finals before being eliminated by the Phoenix Suns. The trio of George, Harden, and Kawhi Leonard wasn’t enough to get over the hump.</p><p>Funny enough, Harden didn’t perform poorly in the 2023-24 playoffs. He averaged <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hardeja01.html" rel="noopener">21.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and eight assists per game while playing 40.3 minutes</a> a game. Although Leonard dealt with an injury, he and George couldn’t escape the Dallas Mavericks in a grueling six-game series.</p><p>Regardless of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/clippers-most-to-blame-for-disappointing-playoff-series-loss-to-mavericks">Clippers disappointing playoff series loss</a>, they still have an exciting season. Bringing back their core group, in addition to head coach Tyronn Lue can make them more of a threat than some might expect. Los Angeles begins preseason play on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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James Harden cites ‘legacy’ for sticking with Clippers after Paul George’s departure

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