Russell Westbrook vs. James Harden: Who Has The Better Career?

[@nritsch]

Love that you got Clayton Crowley involved. Everything he does is fantastic.

[@jonathanglennon1325]

Besides the Jordan wizards video, they've all been so spot on

[@visno]

i was just about to say this sounds like clayton. glad to get that confirmation

[@sikanderbaluch1464]

​@@jonathanglennon1325nah he made some valid points in that one

[@kezzfm3892]

Brother that elimination game vs the jazz when they were down like 25 and russ willed them back into that game, or had 40 points in the nba finals vs bron bosh or wade. Or when he had the game winning block on booker. 0 memorable playoff performances is crazy

[@syjane8746]

Apparently westbrook was "holding the thunder back" but when he got injured in 2013 the team collapsed in the playoffs and let’s not forget how many memorable moments and series he had such as spurs vs okc 2016, mavs vs okc 2016, 2015 clippers, game 7 vs memphis in 2014, that iconic 2012 lakers series where he had that and one in game 5 and even though that he didn’t have much playoff success after durant left saying that he never had a good playoff moment is wrong . his performance in game 5 vs the jazz in 2018 to lead the thunder’s comeback is one of the best I have ever seen and the list goes on

[@lalox6472]

He also dropped 43 on the Heat big 3 in the finals

[@goldenrackz6932]

Thats exactly why i cant watch vids like these. Its like these people dont watch ball, they just run with narratives like hypebeasts

[@AnthonyBrown-xd2lw]

Truth hurts. No lies detected in this video.

[@jomoeller8965]

ok but “failed to make his team better” was a crazy thing to say 😂😂😂 that team would’ve been the worse team in the league without russ

[@PrimeKobeBryant]

Real half that roster was out the nba after 2 years

[@jaylenclement]

@@PrimeKobeBryantnot even that, they were a defensive team that did not fit with Russ play style at all! That was an incredible MVP season

[@dierise6875]

@@PrimeKobeBryantAndre Roberson survived a little longer than 2 years actually

[@viciousc5261]

Yall westbrook fans always make excuses every westbrook led team was weak he had pg and melo too

[@loooooop-2]

Critics suggesting Russell Westbrook didn’t elevate his team in 2017 (top clutch scorer) have no credibility. They’re admitting they paid no attention nor watched that team.

[@alexandrequillien4068]

James Harden put the fear in God against those GOAT-esque Warriors teams. Russ is great, but Harden at his peak was slightly just above.

[@Lordandmaster26]

Harden never gets credit for taking the greatest collection of talent of all time to game 7 and prolly should have won if CP3 didn’t get hurt. They say he “choked” against the 73 win warriors with KD…

[@spiritfirst8048]

Cracks me up how the excuse is always that CP3 was out. Harden and the rest of the Houston team absolutely failed to deliver in game 7. CHOKED.

[@Lordandmaster26]

@@spiritfirst8048 those KD teams are prolly favored against every single team in NBA history…. You can’t choke if you are considered the massive underdog

[@WonderManFlex]

You don't get the point. The fact that the rockets even made it to a game 7 is insane given how good those warriors were. It took an all time shooting slump for the warriors to only win game 7 by single digits. Love him or hate him, Harden is a legend. @@spiritfirst8048

[@ndrocca]

Clayton Crowley?! Holy cow! This is an amazing surprise!

[@809Mornelle]

His series against spurs in 2016 , in 2012 against the lakers when he made that steal and crazy shot and his series agaist the mavs when cuban said he wasnt a superstar and kd defending him. Stop the cap he has alot of memorable playoff moments. Watch the spurs 2016 series and watch how he dominated them

[@MayBeGiant]

Dawg he said after KD left, aren’t those all with KD?

[@PrimeKobeBryant]

@@MayBeGiantworst roster ever and PG never shows up man wtf he got gamed on by Dame from half court

[@809Mornelle]

@@MayBeGiant KD lost with booker , he lost with kyrie and he got swept . Who cares when both of them played both of their contributions helped ok to win.

[@BekNan]

@@809Mornellestill made it further and had better success without westbrick

[@809Mornelle]

@@BekNan how old are you , can’t be a grown man . If you are I wish you best , you need to mature. Harden and Westbrook had great careers, the end!

[@prajwalkrishnabhat5539]

It's harden for me. His offensive production during his prime was so good, he could be a one-man offense and still be top 15 in the league.

[@Tb-gz4qt]

More like top 5**

[@kalieden5493]

its definitely Harden, even with those 27 missed threes the game was still close despite how bad it sounds and he was literally the only person to ever give that superteam trouble.

[@macvincemosquera9616]

this is the most legit answer. during the entire warriors dynasty, only the rockets and spurs in the western conference put the warrior's back on the walls. and james harden was one of the main reasons for that. russ is good, hof worthy. but harden had a better career between the two, individual accolades, better playoff success as the main guy, more efficient, and making teammates better. russ knows that.

[@williamvaughn4418]

@@macvincemosquera9616PG had shoulder surgery after both years with Russ in okc … and PG tried to play through it and they lost in the playoffs .. but if you watch the thunder vs warriors in the 2017-18 season and 2018-19 season .. the thunder was putting on the warriors

[@mattjones8016]

bron did it or 1 game

[@dobronx4771]

1 game away from winning the championship. I’m a bronsexual but Lebron was not winning that series. Not with that team.

[@macvincemosquera9616]

if rockets and cavs met during the 2018 finals, series would be over in 5. rockets over cavs. no disrespect to the king but he had a mid supporting cast that year. @@dobronx4771

[@saydaddy91]

Is that you Clayton? LETS GO!!!

[@camern]

Bleacher report won free agency this year

[@thepoisonouspotato3631]

James Harden has never missed the playoffs in his career, and he is the NBA’s scoring leader of the 2010s

[@Epicness54]

I gotta say Clayton, I pick Russ over Harden for the same reason I pick Tim Duncan 1st overall. They would make coming to work worth it. I know without a doubt in my mind that neither of them are going to ruin the culture of my workplace or my locker room if I’m a player, coach, or GM.

[@Cabbr9]

Harden never beat russ out for 1st team all nba, harden was a SG and had little to no competition other then and aged Kobe , Westbrook battled with prime curry and cp3 for first team honours

[@orangejuice20133]

You do know it’s just two guards right doesn’t matter if they are pg or a sg just matter if you were a top guard that season

[@nepton3921]

Russ has never helped out a team? He brought the wizards To the playoffs, something that hasn't happened in over 15 years

[@48238JEFE]

15 years?

[@Tb-gz4qt]

Lol why u making stuff up? He took themm to the playoffs in 2020 but the Wizards were in the playoffs in 2017 and 2016. Before that they made the playoffs in 2013 and 2014.

[@mybestofriendo4615]

There’s no reason to lie they were in the playoffs in 2017 and even made a deeper playoff run then 😂

[@TeenCrisisMusic]

Is Clayton Crowley working with Bleacher Report now?

[@cameronrimmer5352]

You love to see it! He’s the best KZbinr that makes basketball players

[@Juice_plz]

good shit clayton

[@camern]

Bro is that my boy Clayton Crowley on the voiceover!?

[@deven7345]

Post kd russ had pg but the roster wasn’t constructed for his exact style of play like hardens. I’m not saying that’s anyone’s fault, however I bring that up to make a point. If he had the space that harden had in Houston all those years. The narrative would be way different.

[@jonnstewart2023]

And just what is a team that's built around russ gonna achieve. Not more than any harden led one, dude is less efficient, more hardheaded and more turnover prone

[@igbokwenu4934]

OP Absolute FACTS. That OKC traded key parts of that team like Ibaka and Deion Waiters to give KD an empty chequebook to re-sign, and the waiting period for that 🐍 meant most of the roster were gone as so much hinged on KD staying which everyone thought he would do , not realising he'd join the team that just beaten them. The second comment a team similar to Lebrons or Giannis' teams in Milwaukee is more suited to Russ. I e. Great spot up 3 and D shooters , a Centre that's athletic and work in transition and sometimes shoot threes or mid ranges if necessary and a bench Point Guard that can moderate the pace of the game when he rests.

[@newpancakeman]

The goat getting exposure you love to see it

[@Aj-kd8wg]

All you did was retell the story, you don’t mention the context of their teams and how it fit them, how Westbrook had terrible spacing and unoptimized teams. All the injuries that he played thru because of how bad the team was and you count it against him?

[@Tb-gz4qt]

No one cares about "playing through injury". Why would anyone care? If they can play, then they play. Harden had a concussion during his whole series vs Spurs in 2017 but that doesnt stop people from roasting him losing to a Kawhi less spurs, and it shouldnt.

[@ryantorres3311]

Let’s not act like Russ was holding the thunder back when kd left. Who else was going to carry that team? Roberson? Steven Adam’s? Alex abrines?

[@soundcloudsash]

Need more vids like this good work bleacher report

[@soleil3gs]

It’s Harden but Russ is a great player and deserves all his flowers

[@adamduffy-castaldo1189]

Westbrook clears

[@Blasian_guy]

Westbrook gaps tf

[@corysimmons455]

Total b.s

[@daviesugo7641]

​@@adamduffy-castaldo1189Harden has been top 3 in mvp like 6 times. Russ has been top 3 once

[@spiritfirst8048]

Westbrook is absolutely a superior defender this year. Hands down.

[@localcelebrity2972]

Just say you hate Harden. You bashed him the whole video. Smh. Hate him cause you ain't him.

[@Ingenuity009]

Westbrook, not even close. One guy is one of the most unstoppable players of all time, never takes a night off, makes scoring look easy. One is a cancer to your team, needs a lot of free throws, he turns the ball over just as much as Westbrook.

[@devonlatrell5767]

Need what you smoking lol

[@Ingenuity009]

@@devonlatrell5767 Don't hate cause I'm right.

[@orangejuice20133]

This is a bad take lol. Russ has taken a lot of free throws and also shooting 40% in the playoffs doesn’t make your scoring look easy 😂

[@Ingenuity009]

@orangejuice1386 Russ doesn't flop like a baby and he's had to play on trash teams wether in OKC, or Washington.

[@orangejuice20133]

@@Ingenuity009 no he was the one that was trash. Harden can carry a team pass the first round Russ can not simple as that bro

[@jeffjifferjay6342]

I’d take russ simply because we haven’t seen a healthy version of him in the playoffs aside from the clippers since 2017, and harden has had good playoff performances but tends to choke when it really matters, albeit Russ and kd did choke in 2016 as well

[@KDuff-2015]

This difficult because Harden offensively is the more efficient player over history but Westbrook was a 2 way player even tho he was never a lockdown defender he was willing unlike Prime Harden

[@MarkLaw13]

Westbrook ain't no two way player

[@Melly_Wayy]

Never lol

[@stuntmandaniels3323]

@@MarkLaw13he is when need be .. he was a defensive player of year in college

[@DreBeats_]

@@MarkLaw13grown ass man with a female as his profile pic😭😭😭 you do not know basketball

[@HisRoyalFreshness163]

​@@stuntmandaniels3323College! Come on, you don't seriously think that is a legit argument, right?

[@PaulMaree]

By far the best content that Bleacher Report have ever put out.

[@solobusiness4320]

Harden in 2018 was literally unguardable he put the defense on skates every single night he averaged what like 36 and took the 2018 nba champions to 7 games easily prime beard

[@jayrobert2121]

Also can't defend and takes 69 shots a game and If he don't like the team or a cheerleader he's going to get fat and sit out so im going with russ

[@NiceGuyDan08]

@@jayrobert2121 Russ averages 18 shots a game over the course of his career. Harden averages a little over 16 a game. Bad take.

[@jayrobert2121]

@NiceGuyDan08 I didn't say russ didn't shot the ball when he played at OKC??? Do you think russ or Harden takes better shots. Who plays better defense if you can even call what harden does as defense? Who's a better team player? Harden has been having team build around him for years now and not winning anything.

[@NiceGuyDan08]

@@jayrobert2121 Harden is historically more efficient from the field (without factoring in any free throws) and that's not even a close comparison. Their defensive metrics for their career are actually pretty comparable. We aren't going to re-write history just because he's playing good now. For most of his career, he has been a terrible defensive player. Better team player? I don't know how you quantify that. I don't have an opinion and frankly it doesn't matter. Harden is clearly the better player and has had the better career.

[@troysmith8177]

Russ never had a team built for him tho🤫

[@troysmith8177]

Brodie just had broken rosters from free agency lol

[@elijahlogan7347]

They got him PG and Melo

[@skylargardner5351]

Melo was 100 and PG13 was hurt his OKC stint c'mon now

[@troysmith8177]

I don't see how bringing in Melo is building a team for anyone. Russ never had elite floor spacers. It was kinda like the bulls when D rose was mvp. Very easy style of basketball ball to guard in the playoffs

[@orangejuice20133]

He has. They got him great scoring around him and a top 7 defence and he couldn’t win anything. Losing to the jazz and blazers is inexcusable. Also shooting under 40% is mad wild. Harden is better not close

[@hansmina3752]

Ball IQ/Talent/Peak - Harden Will/Hardwork/Intensity - Russ

[@JohnnyYeet123-sr8xk]

As a massive Westbrook fan, it's Harden. Man averaged 36 for a season, averaged a 50-point triple double for a period of time in 2019, led his team further than Russ, and was a far better shooter and similar caliber passer.

[@binmanbinman]

dude said averaged 36 for a season like russ ain’t average a triple double three seasons in a row 😂

[@phillyp2330]

It's Russ and Harden isn't even close.

[@njabulozwane6783]

It's definitely harden no contest, better playmaker and can score on every level and has had better playoff runs. No hate on russ but facts are facts.

[@mangobeepoppin2712]

@@binmanbinmanif I’m not mistaken Russ has more triple doubles than majority of the entire active NBA combined. On top of that he is solidified in the history record books for triple doubles. I think Harden is good too. But they play completely different. Both seem to have different work ethics as well. Russ is more giving and willing to adjust as needed. Harden just goes out and balls to his own benefit.

[@phillyp2330]

@njabulozwane6783 Westbrook is sitting at 9.k all time assists while James is at 7.k. playoffs are hard to judge due to all of the injuries, but they've both reached the same exact heights. Westbrook has shown he could lead terrible teams when he led Okc (because they never recovered from durant leaving)and Washington to the playoffs. Harden was expected to make the finals with a complete team and still managed to miss 21 straight 3's against the Warriors. Not to mention his generational falloff in the playoffs because his game revolves around being fouled.

[@GianChan]

Westbrook of course

[@kelechinwaeze671]

ur tripping

[@daviesugo7641]

Harden was top 3 in mvp voting like 6-7 times. Russ only got there once.

[@shipitplease99999]

If you look at all the team where russ was the best player, they wouldnt win any playoff series. Harden won many series with him as the team best player. This is why harden is better

[@Allensanor]

No way Clayton is on BR no wonder why he hasn’t been uploading videos 😂😂😂

[@Portableshua]

Russ never been an elite defender? He’s been snubbed for all defensive teams especially in 2017-2018. Many points in this discussion are flawed

[@FreeBandz658]

Russ has the more iconic MVP season, way more entertaining player, way more playoff performances and iconic moments. No slight on Harden but he’s a productive machine while being boring to watch. His stepback changed the game though

[@gungij2728]

harden def better between the two harden was the best player in the world for years he arguablly top 5 player in the game right now i think when its all said and done he will be top 10 all time

[@ken58763]

Great video clayton

[@connorobrien8763]

I hate the narrative that Westbrook will give you “ everything he has “ He will give you everything he has… In the ways that he wants to, he still is a terrible defender even though he has the tools not to be, and he was on the Lakers he set like a single digit number of screens for the whole year… One of the only ways, a non-shooter like him can really get involved in the offense when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. This in my opinion, is the crux of why he is not a winning player

[@mofocardinal]

Hey is that Clayton Crowley I hear?

[@ActivBowser9177]

Clayton Crowley back with another superb analysis!

[@ComancheBoi1911]

11:10 he dropped 40 in the finals

[@chev5451]

i like clayton crowley, please continue letting him make videos and please continue giving him money

[@Orion26DML]

Perfect video

[@shai_guy_chi_guy]

Super smart move bringing in Clayton. Dude is the GOAT of basketball KZbin.

[@ericpangdozq510]

Harden lez go. Hes jist shit when it matters. Maybe he's smarter than we thought and gets cold feet whenever shits on the line thats why he chokes.

[@jamesgarde8495]

IT'S A TIE. BOTH ARE HALL OF FAMERS.

[@marlowlawsonjr.3888]

Harden. No debate

[@awesomeguy631]

Westbrook for me no doubt about it.

[@AB_7092]

Harden as a first option at least made it to the conference finals a couple times. Westbrook as a first option never made it out of the first round. Case closed.

[@phillyp2330]

Lol what kind of argument is this?

[@moogerchee2287]

harden is much better, lefraud got swept by the kd warriors while harden went 3-4 and 2-4 with mid teammates@@phillyp2330

[@yeah8709]

@@phillyp2330 bad argument but its harden either way

[@Larryisalwayssufferinginc.8502]

​@phillyp2330 exactly. That's more of an indictment on Okc management than Russ. Even those Pg teams were too frontloaded with Russ and Pg doing everything. Him losing to a young Donovan Mitchell was a bad look but again those Okc teams weren't good.

[@AB_7092]

@@phillyp2330 Russ is a losing player and stat padder as the first option. At least harden made the rockets contenders even if he is a playoff choker. Even lebron couldn’t make the play in with Westbrook.

[@Not4K19]

I think he did more criticism than explaining who had the better career

[@Durantism357]

CLAYTON HAS MADE IT😭😭😭😭

[@sakshamdwivedi4273]

He got clowned on for calling himself one of the most unselfish players ever. But Beardman's been sacrificing his talents his whole career with very little pouting. In OKC, Scott Brooks played him as 6th man for 3 years in, despite being one of the most talented players on the team. In Houston, Tim Fertitta refused to go over the luxury tax and surround him with better players, despite being one game away from an NBA finals in 2018. (The next year he averaged 36ppg 7rpg 8apg) In Brooklyn, Kyrie Irving played less games then Harden, despite Harden being injured. In Philadelphia, he took a pay cut so the Doc Rivers could sign more depth, despite being owed $15million more. Generational talent that's been adapting and being unselfish since he entered the league when the 2019 rockets are down 0-2 and he averages 40/10/5 the next 2 games to tie it up, it doesn't count. when he puts up 35/8/5 and has more points/rebounds/assists/steals than steph in game 6, he sucked and steph was legendary to win without KD. in the bubble he put up 30 ppg on 67 TS% against an elite lakers defense that was just doubling him near halfcourt and leaving russ wide open. but he sucked. he also tends to have his best games end in near losses, which unless he has a time machine, i'm not sure what he can do about. putting up 39/10/9 on 62% shooting (field goal, not TS%) against the #1 defense 2015 warriors and being +12 in 41 minutes, only for the rockets to be -13 in his 7 minutes off so he loses by 1 gets forgotten. still a great game. he goes up 3-2 on the most talented team ever but cp3 gets injured so no credit for harden. he's had some disappointing playoff moments, but people way overplay it. I mean Harden does have 9 playoff games where he scored 40+ points, including 3 in the 2018 playoff run alone. Curry has 7 such games in his career. Butler has 6. Melo had 4. Harden certainly deserves plenty of criticism. But this idea that he’s never gone off in the playoffs is ridiculous. He generally had just kind of ok supporting casts and regularly made some decent playoff runs. His Rockets were also the only team to really give a healthy KD Warriors any real trouble. Cavs got swept and lost in 5. I think if you take "Most Valuable Player" literally, Harden should have won. Take Steph Curry off of that Warriors team, and that's still a good team. Take James Harden off of that Rockets team (keep in mind that Dwight was also missing for most of the season), and that team is very close to the very bottom of the West. Steph Curry had a phenomenal season, but I'm tired of team performance being taken into account so heavily in individual accolades. Harden 2014-15. With out Harden the Rockets probably dont make the playoffs. With out Curry the Warriors still make the playoffs, just not as the first seed. I feel like considering that Dwight was injured most of the season and Harden fucking went ham to keep his team a float, that the MVP should have gone to him. The only knock on Harden was his percentages, but Harden still averaged 27.4 points, 7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 steals for the season. Dem be MVP numbuhs. James Harden is an underrated defender and I will argue that to the grave The only reason mainstream media views harden as a bad defensive player is because of lowlight tapes where harden doesn’t sprint across the court to guard a speedy fast break but when Lebron sags on defense it’s considered conserving energy. Efficiency wise if a player is a huge plus on offense it makes sense to have them expend the majority of their energy getting points instead of making high energy cost/low return defensive plays. Especially when that player is by far the most effective offensive player on the team. Lebrons famous 48 minute playoff games utilize this strategy and Harden is the highest usage player in league history so it’s less about defensive skill as opposed to a strategic decision. This is why Harden prefers to guard bigs in the post where his style is more about stealing low rather than jumping to block. And when looking at his defensive efficiency in the post it’s up there with the best in the league. Defense isn’t necessarily about the flashy blocks of a Giannis or the scrappy pestering of a Pat Beverly. It’s about not letting the other team score the ball and Harden does a good not great job at that. I rest my case. At their peaks, Harden IS a better offensive player than Jordan (and Kobe) by every imaginable metric. Harden is a better offensive player at his peak than Jordan. Some of this is going to sound repetitive but follow along. Kobe averaged 5 rebounds and 4 assists in his 35.1ppg season. He did that on 27 FGAs, and a 56% TS Jordan averaged 5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in his 37ppg season. He did that on 28 FGAs, and a 56% TS. Harden averaged 7 rebounds and 8 assists in his 36.1ppg season. He's doing that on 24 FGAs and a 61% TS. Yeah well Harden shoots too many free throws. Harden: 11 FTA (88%) Jordan: 11.9 FTA (85.7%) Kobe: 10.2 FTA (85%) Yeah well Harden shoots too many threes that's why his TS is high. Harden: 54.1 eFG%, 52.9% from 2, 36.8% from 3 Kobe: 49.1 eFG%, 48.2% from 2, 34.7% from 3 MJ: 48.4 eFG%, 49.1% from 2, 18.2% from 3 (only on 0.8 attempts though) Yeah well the game was much slower back then. Per 100 Possessions: Harden: 48.2 PPG (highest of all time) MJ: 46.4 PPG Kobe: 45.6 PPG Yeah well compared to their league, Jordan stood out more. Then let's compare to the league average. Harden: 54.1 eFG% and 61.7 TS%, League Average: 52.4 eFG% and 55.7 TS% Kobe: 49.1 eFG% and 55.9 TS%, League Average: 49 eFG% and 53.5 TS% MJ: 48.4 eFG% and 56.2 TS%, League Average: 48.8 eFG% and 53.8 TS% This isn't even factoring in seasons Harden has averaged 10+ assists, and he's done that many times. Harden is a very capable defender when he tries. For majority of the game Harden plays defense but allows blowbys to avoid risking picking up fouls. Due to his heavy minutes, especially when he was in Houston, harden lacked in defense to avoid getting fouls, which is why he is known as a bad defender. However, in late game situations, especially in the playoffs, he locks in and is one of the better perimeter defensive players in the league. As for his post defense, he has been number one in the league statistically since 2019, and has even been second in the league in perimeter isolation points allowed per possession in 2020. In addition to all of that, he is an extremely smart player defensively. He knows when to help, where other players need to stand and is known for his defensive communication. His Houston rockets had the number one defense in the playoffs and in the bubble of 2020. Statistically James has been top 5 in steals for many seasons, number one in deflections for a few years, and has the most blocks by any guard since joining Houston. He has crucial defensive saves in important games including against Giannis, Porzingis, in game 7 of okc thunder, and even against embiid in the 2020 rockets 76ers matchup, where embiid got in a little skirmish with him after harden stopped him on back to back possessions. He may not play it the whole game, but when he tries harden is a top defender in almost every aspect, and a beneficial one to have on the court due to his intelligence. And people talking bout his defense are idiots, hes locked up and then shit on Kawhi/PG/Beverly in a 1v3 lmaoooo he has the most points on every team too plus like 3 years of 10+ assists and the others are 8-9 assists on top of 30-36.6 points. He's the only one who even challenged the KD Era warriors and lost because of blatant ref fixing and Ariza going 0-12 on wide open threes generated by Harden along with his second best player CP3 going down and Capela getting sonned by a rookie Looney. Harden was literally dunking on draymond all day and dray got pissed and shoved him like 30 seconds into a game because he got scored on twice fast. That's not even mentioning all that happened while facing the KD warriors who had 5 star players, 2 of which were the number one and number two best shooters in the history of the league, Dpoy draymond, a top 2-3 scorer in Durant, Iggy dpoy. Then waiving off 12 of Hardens points but not making the same call if he missed the 3...blatant lmao Harden has been a top 3 hardest working player for the past 10 years. Just because he likes strip clubs and partying doesn't mean he disregards practice and conditioning. This sub is just going with assuming narratives instead of taking 5 minutes to find out that Harden's workouts have been Kobe-levels insane for many seasons, doing HIT lifting after having played 40 minutes in an NBA game with historic usage and scoring rate for entire seasons because the durability demanded from Harden forced him to be insanely well conditioned. There are countless stories as well as statements by his staff and teammates about it, it's just easier to shit on a player for partying instead. Literally everybody who's ever played with Harden attests to his one-of-a-kind work ethic. The reason Harden has been struggling are injuries and playing through them as well as the miles on his body but it's 10000% not because he's lazy. He ONCE forced Houstons hand for 3 weeks because they wouldn't trade him despite his demands many months before the situation escalated. Other than that he's been more than textbook when it comes to work ethic, you don't become such a legendary offensive Superstar without working your ass off every day for many years. And yes Harden can come back, he's one of the most skilled players ever and he works out like a madman

[@tisanbobai8643]

TLDR

[@reasondro]

HOLY SHIT HAHAHA NO WAY YOU WROTE THAT

[@pradk9157]

Oh my god

[@d4v1do]

Naaaah bro wrote an essay this has to be AI

[@Moplicker97]

Nah this is ridiculous

[@Be_Elightened19]

I can't compare these two cause i grew to love both. When they went up against the Heat in the finals i only knew who Kevin Durant was, and i was going for the Heat. Right now, I want L.A Clipps to go all the way. 🚀

[@VICTORZITOSS]

Just commenting ti show support

[@vanwilder205]

All the excuses y’all are making for Brodie all could be said about harden. The simple fact is harden is a winner and Westbrook isn’t that’s why we used to beat the shit out of the thunder when he was there. And don’t act like Westbrook never had a good team. Because those teams were just as if not more talented than the rockets.

[@LunarLeahy11]

Clayton Crowley on BR. WOW!!

[@Nas-1240]

Not a Harden fan by any means, but harden's better with little to no debate.

[@MazdaspeedMikeLe]

Russ gets standing ovations when he comes off the bench in OKC and Washington from his former team's fans.

[@pauloigbokwe]

It won't take decades for someone to break Westbrook's triple double record Jokic will do it in a few years tops

[@Letskeepitreal-b9n]

For real Westbrook started the dribble looking normal jokic made it to where you can actually win doing it

[@stevenkapp4719]

So glad to see Clayton Crowley here. May he enjoy many happy returns.

[@leebishop9909]

There are only 25 players in the history of the NBA that scores 25k points and Harden and Westbrook are in that 25. They both made the top 75 list of players as well. They are both first ballot future hall a famers so at the end of the day they both did great

[@marktimmons478]

Give me the guy that gives 110% every single game and doesn't quit. Harden obviously is the better player but has proven to play when he feels like playing.

[@BigBoyDanny123]

Clayton!!! Congrats and well deserved big kan

[@STEP_BACK_3]

It's not even close. Hardin was the better scorer and playmaker. He actually made the guys around him better instead of just filling the stat the sheet more importantly he won more. Hardens prime years in Houston had the team at the top of the Western conference every year. People, playoff joker but if you actually look at his record and what he's done in the playoffs and can you compare him to players like and Embid, Luca, westbrook and Lillard. You'll see that he was a far better playoff performer. I remember he was the soul star on his team he didn't have a superstar beside him to carry the team with after Dwight left. People forget there was about a 3 to 4 year span where he was the best player in the NBA. Harden winning a single MVP was bs. And Harden was an average defender. This crap about him being one of the worst ever is just bs

[@vanwilder205]

If you think Westbrook. You probably just don’t like harden or a in denial okc fan. Numbers and wins don’t lie

[@binmanbinman]

Definitely Westbrook

[@LordofHogwarts]

Jokic is coming after that triple double record tho

[@karemflowers8698]

Westbrook has an overall winning record...

[@gb1style]

Love this video The OKC trio was actually balanced that’s the lesson there KD to rise as a leader the most efficient and the killer Westbrook to defer in the critical moments and focus on rebounds and defense with his relentless display every second Harden to be the floor general in

[@TheRageng]

This guy is good

[@michaelgenove144]

These dudes in the comments section think that he had a lot of help in his Houston career, harden made them elite not another way around. Harden only got ang aging cp3 & Howard in his prime and a bunch of nobody. No superstar no all star at best. If you want to argue his support cast, where are they now? Capela only shine because of harden look where he is now? Even tho he is in his prime he regress fast. He dominating in gsw era and a borderline allstar but now look at him? Gorden is only relevant when he was with harden, dude so irrelevant for years after harden left Houston. And the other just can’t find a team after that Houston era and the others retired. For context lebron couldn’t even crack a single game ỉn playoff series against the greatest team that had been built and that’s a “2018 bron” who considered by the most the most complete version bron. 😏 meanwhile harden and cp3 and a bunch nobody went toe to toe against gsw nearly beating them. So who had a better team? Or maybe who was the better leader??? 🤔

[@Shai_gilgeous2]

All I got to say if Westbrook And harden didn’t had to go against gsw they would not have this must hate imagine kd got less hate then Westbrook and harden smh

[@okcthunder0872]

Ironically both their careers kinda eclipse in a way if you think about it, although harden won more series as the best player on the team, they are both notoriously known for stinking it up in the playoffs, both players were on a decline at the same time period until they both found a way to remain valuable again, with Russ sacrificing off the bench and with harden willingly taking a backseat to embiid and now Kawhi and PG, Russ triple doubles kinda equals out harden averaging 36 PPG and 30+ PPG at that, despite the multiple 40 and 50 point games from harden, they both peaked within the same time period 2016-2020 that 4 year gap

[@Swish2408]

Russ best playoff game was in the finals of 2012 where he scored 43 in a losing fashion

[@oftfnas]

It’s Harden but Russ is Him too

[@therealmvpee]

They like brothers of the nba…two peas in a pod

[@BoskoShabazz]

Harden’s career is better and it’s not all that close

[@sherris9598]

why do people always have to put one person down and lift the other one up= i like both and they are brother and love each other, I was in Oklahoma when they both played together, they where so young they didnt realy understand how to play together but now they are older and they are doing good together. both are MVP

[@pabloscobar958]

Harden, no contest

[@ossieldelvalle1231]

I’ve always loved Westbrooks game because he tries his absolute hardest

[@CaptainKash-S532]

Idgaf what anybody say 100% of the players in the league rn who's name isn't Westbrook if they try to get a triple a double every single night they can't do it

[@warblade044]

Not just saying this because I am a Clippers fan, but this was a little unfair to Harden with his time in Brooklyn and Philly. With Brooklyn, the narrator did get it right that the Nets were dysfunctional. He asked for a trade after KD had demanded a trade in that prior offseason and wanted Steve Nash fired from the head coach position. There was also the issue of Kyrie playing/not playing due to not getting vaccinated for COVID and his propensity to take random days off. Nobody in their right mind would NOT want out of that dysfunctional situation. With regards to Philly, the narrator and everyone else in the media conveniently forget that Embiid was hurt and missed some games in the playoffs. Harden put up a couple of 40 point games. He also had beef with Morey due to apparently Morey reneging on a promise to pay him for him taking his taking less. With Houston, I put blame on him for that. Due to the multiple trade demands, Harden is unfavorable and has bad optics, but don't forget the nuance and facts of the situation. You're honestly painting with an EXTREMELY broad brush here. Plus, if the Clippers win the championship this year, nobody will care what this video has to say anymore.

[@krzysztofkaplinski8603]

Westbrick is a stat padder and Harden is a born Play off chocker so its a hard choice

[@imasavage95]

Lol

[@samuelottah6321]

You can say harden is better than westbrick. Oh pardon me I mean Westbrook.

[@krzysztofkaplinski8603]

maaaaaaybe. he doesnt play from the bench so maybe you are right :P IDK neither got a champ ring and thats what matter so if they win this season its a tie I guess... but I would put russ in the starting 5 its thats a 7th game tbh@@samuelottah6321

[@gandof305]

It’s Harden and not close. Russ is great though.

[@jamesfillipovich1813]

Dude named every single way a man can possible score n then said “kinda boring” 😂😂😂 man first take ruined yall

[@pollenmalungans7985]

I know that voice anywhere...Clayton👊🏾

[@Myrocke24]

U didn't mention russ never had a team built around him like harden did in his prime.... big difference in their career

[@philbanks1696]

Clayton Crowley best nba KZbin 🙌🏼

[@michelangelooliver2590]

“All will, no smarts” 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 couldn’t be a more perfect explanation of Westbrook.

[@Mannndoesports]

I actually went in to this video thinking I’d disagree. I’m a big Westbrook fan, and for years I have sat with thinking the naysayers are correct. And honestly, if you go ask around many people would say harden. But the end of this video has been and will always be my stance in this debate. I would much rather a player that would go out swinging. The bubble run when they were teammates in Houston sealed it for me. Harden went to his pass and stand there routine while Russ went out at least fighting Vs the eventual champs Lakers.

[@carmacksanderson3937]

Would be nice if Clayton and his channel were credited in the description

[@sixstreetrex]

Brodie… SIMPLE

[@stopshootfilms4196]

Thought that voice sounded familiar.

[@marlonious7650]

Philly got as far as they did last year because of Harden. Embiid sold epically.

[@charles4830]

In fairness to Russ, much of his bad rep about shooting only happened when he was with the Lakers. That being said, he was never the franchise player he was portrayed to be. Hardwork cannot cover lack of talent all the time.