Among the most complete scorers in history, James Harden notably has a monstrous weapon to defeat his opponents. However, it would be a player not at all renowned for his offensive prowess who would have taught him this signature move…
Since moving to the Nets let alone now playing with Joel Embiid at the Sixers, James Harden mostly focused on distribution to the point where he should be the league’s leading passer this year. But we must not forget that at the Rockets in particular, the back was perhaps the best scorer in the world. Not everyone ends three seasons in a row with an average of more than 30 points, including a peak of 36.1 units.
Endowed with an incredible offensive background, The Beard has above all made his three-point step-back his weapon of choice, driving all NBA defenders crazy. However, this atrocious move to counter would be inspired by a certain… Patrick Beverley. The watchdog had played with No. 13 in Houston and according to his own words, he was the one who taught the 2018 MVP this shoot that has become a benchmark in the current era:
Patrick Beverley behind James Harden’s step-back?
Pat Bev on James Harden:
“There was a time when he wasn’t even doing step-backs… we was playing ones and s—, my first two years in the NBA and every move I did I finished with a step-back… ‘Aye, P. Why you always stepping back?’… I hit him up a year ago… He goes, yeah you… pic.twitter.com/wTwF0K5IH8
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) March 22, 2023
There was a time when he wasn’t even taking those step-backs. We played 1-vs-1 for my first two years in the league and I ended every move I made with a step-back. He was like, “P, why are you still taking that shot? » We spoke a year ago and he was like « yeah, you had put your finger on something. »
We are not going to hide it, this statement seems a bit lunar. Admittedly, the current Bulls player was shooting at 40% from afar when he started in Texas, but we have rarely seen him attempt this kind of shot in the middle of a match. Above all, the offensive talent is not at all the same as that of El Chapo and the fans were therefore not fooled for a single second, ridiculing the guard on the field.
There’s no chance Pat Bev of all people thinks we’re going to believe Harden is stealing moves from him ????
— shock (@shock) March 22, 2023
There’s no way Pat Bev thinks we’ll believe Harden is stealing moves from him
So it would be from Patrick Beverley that James Harden would have inherited this absolutely terrifying step-back behind the three-point line? Maybe, but it was The Beard who made it an iconic weapon for shooters. It remains to be seen whether the Bulls player is telling the truth.
