Kevin McHale gets back at James Harden eight years after the latter pushed for his firing: “Big difference between winning and putting up numbers”

James Harden emerged as a superstar with the Houston Rockets, but it is no mystery that his time there ended on a rather sour note. While much has been said on the matter, NBA legend and former Rockets coach Kevin McHale recently revealed some interesting things about Harden's character.

James Harden has almost always been given what he wants from a team. While this has been seen as of late with regard to his trade requests, Harden has apparently been lobbying for personnel changes since his Houston days.

Former Rockets coach McHale was witness to Harden's rise to superstardom. However, he also witnessed all the drama that came with it.

It was reported by CBSSports.com's Ken Berger that Harden "pushed" for the firing of McHale in 2015 along with the Dwight Howard trade. While the Rockets' CEO Tad Brown denied the report then, Harden eventually got his way.

In light of all the drama, McHale opened up about his opinions on Harden as a player. While speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, he highlighted why Harden faced issues with winning an NBA title by saying:

"There’s a big difference between winning and putting up numbers. Averaging 20 a game is not hard if you shoot enough."

While speaking about the gradual lack of effort put in by Harden, McHale recalled his reaction to seeing it and said:

"I was like, ‘Man, that only lasts so long.’ And you’re not going to win if you don’t do the little things. Like, if you’re not a player that can go out and get defensive stops, then you better be a great team defender."

McHale went on to cite his former teammate Larry Bird as an example of a poor individual defender but a great team defender. He followed this example up by saying:

"James can do it, he just didn’t want to."

While some would say Kevin McHale has been harsh in his take, Harden hasn't really done much to prove him wrong. With several sources criticizing his work ethic, the superstar has done himself no favors by not winning a title.

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James Harden calls Daryl Morey a liar

Following the botched trade request situation with the Philadelphia 76ers, it appears that James Harden has decided to take matters into his own hands.

Earlier on Monday, a video surfaced online showing Harden openly calling 76ers president Daryl Morey a liar and expressing his displeasure with the organization.

By doing so publicly, the superstar has emphasized his thoughts on Philly's decision to keep him even after he requested a trade. With the situation heating up, we look forward to seeing how the future unfolds for James Harden.

Read: James Harden x Daryl Morey: Timeline and controversy explained