"Have you read the stories and have you talked to James Harden?" - Stephen A. Smith claims former NBA MVP had a starkly different lifestyle in Houston compared to Brooklyn

James Harden was provided with a much more affluent lifestyle in Houston compared to his time in Brooklyn, according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. On the I Am Athlete Podcast, Smith talked about the perks former Rockets general manager Daryl Morey gave Harden during his time in Houston.

“Have you read the stories and have you talked to James Harden and everybody else in Houston about how life was in Houston for James Harden under Daryl Morey?"

“I mean, you talk about a beautiful affluent lifestyle; I mean, it took it to another level. This man loved the ground James Harden walks on, and so the kind of lifestyle he had in Houston was nothing. I mean, far exceeded what he had in Brooklyn."

Morey did everything he could to optimize the Rockets roster around Harden during his nine years in Houston. He built a roster that consisted of 3-and-D wings, lob-threat big men and secondary playmakers around Harden. Not only was Harden always the main guy on the court, but, according to Smith, he got everything he wanted off the court as well.

In Brooklyn, it was a bit of a different story. Harden was part of a big three alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Brooklyn was never truly his team or his city like Houston was. Harden only played 80 games with the Nets before asking for a trade.

The Nets traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he reunited with Daryl Morey.

Can James Harden return to superstar level in 2023?

Miami Heat v Philadelphia 76ers - Game Six

It’s no secret that James Harden struggled over his first season with the Sixers. He was dealing with a nagging hamstring injury that hurt his conditioning, and his play suffered as a result.

In 21 regular-season games for Philly, Harden averaged just 21 points per game. He followed that up with an average of 18.6 points per game in 12 playoff games. These averages were his lowest since his final season in Oklahoma City in 2011-12.

However, Daryl Morey still showed his confidence in Harden by rewarding him with a two-year, $68.6 million contract to remain with the Sixers.

Harden has been working on his conditioning this offseason. If he can get healthy, there’s no reason to think a Harden and Joel Embiid duo can’t compete with the other top stars in the East.