Ranking All of James Harden's Hall of Fame Teammates From Worst to Best
From Kevin Durant to Joel Embiid, James Harden has played with a multitude of NBA Hall of Famers in his career. We ranked his teammates from best to worst.
James Harden is a Los Angeles Clipper. After demanding his third trade in two years, Harden will be suiting for his fourth NBA team since 2021. While Harden will go down as one the greatest scorers the game has ever seen, he's been unable to the reach of pinnacle hoops as an NBA champion despite being on several championship-caliber teams. From his days in OKC to now his days as a Clipper, there may not be a superstar player who has played with more elite talent than James Harden if you factor in his new teammates in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Ring culture can lead to toxic debates when evaluating NBA players but you may not be able to invalidate the argument when someone has played with almost 10 NBA Hall of Famers. You have to be realistic with players like Carmelo Anthony who was past his prime when he played with Harden but for the most part, Harden has suited up with top-tier players in their primes.
From stars like Kevin Durant to Joel Embiid, we ranked all of James Harden's Hall of Fame teammates from worst to best. The ranking is based off how they played together and the version of the teammate they played with. For example, Carmelo Anthony wasn't ranked based off his career accolades. He was ranked based off the 10 games he played with Harden in Houston.
9.Carmelo Anthony
When They Played Together: (2018-19 Houston Rockets)
Although Melo will go down as one of the greatest players to ever play this game, he was well beyond his prime when he suited up with an MVP-caliber James Harden for the Rockets. In fact, he was at the tail end of his career. To add to that, he only played 10 games in Houston and was waived after he didn't fit into Mike D'Antoni's system. Many saw this as potentially the end of Melo's career but luckily we got a few more years after his short stint in Houston.
8.Kyrie Irving
When They Played Together: (2020-22 Brooklyn Nets)
Injuries arguably kept the Brooklyn Nets from winning a championship and James Harden from securing his first ring but it wasn't a smooth partnership between Kyrie Irving and Harden. Joe Vardon reported that there was some chemistry issues between the two during their stint in Brooklyn that included a situation where Harden "looked at Kyrie like he had three heads." On the court, they were unstoppable at times even when Kevin Durant was not in the lineup but when Kyrie refused to take the vaccine at the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Harden wanted out ultimately ending the superstar trio in Brooklyn. We just didn't see enough of them together.
7.Paul George
When They Played Together: (2023-Current Los Angeles Clippers)
Although the clock is ticking, Paul George might still on the edge of his prime years of basketball. While he's been nagged with injuries, he's been effective and has played an All-Star level when he's been available for the Clippers the past few years. George has been vocal about his appreciation for Harden's game so there shouldn't be any issues in terms of chemistry but we'll see how they fit. George is another Southern Cali native along with Harden, Westbrook, and Kawhi on the Clippers.
6.Dwight Howard
When They Played Together: (2013-16 Houston Rockets)
When the Houston Rockets brought in Dwight Howard, they thought they were creating their own version of Kobe and Shaq. Unfortunately, the MVP-caliber player they saw in Orlando with Dwight was not the same player we saw in Houston. Howard was still an All-NBA player in his first year with the Rockets but after having back surgery as a Laker, he was at the beginning of the decline of his Hall of Fame career. The Rockets tallied two seasons over 50 wins but peaked in the postseason with a Western Conference Finals trip. Following that Western Conference Finals appearance, the Rockets would win 41 games the next season and break up the duo.
5.Chris Paul
When They Played Together: (2017-19 Houston Rockets)
While Chris Paul may have not been in his peak prime, this was the closest James Harden has come to the NBA Finals since leaving Oklahoma City. This is another case where injuries may have derailed a championship run as the Rockets had a 3-2 lead on the Golden State Warriors prior to CP3's injury. Their run together included a 65-win season and as mentioned, they had arguably the greatest team of all time on the ropes in the conference finals. The Nets championship hypothetical had a lot more hurdles for them to get by but the Rockets needed one win to reach the Finals and their hardest task would've been behind them. Despite their relationship reportedly having turmoil and a sour ending, the Rockets were special with these two guys at the helm.
4.Kawhi Leonard
When They Played Together: (2023-Current Los Angeles Clippers)
If Kawhi Leonard is healthy, he can arguably be the second best player on this list that Harden has suited up with but key factor with the Clippers will ALWAYS be health. Excluding the trade dramatics, availability is actually a strength of Harden's for most of his career. If Harden can take the pressure of Kawhi and PG playing every game and have the Clippers in their best shape come postseason, we could see a run.
3.Russell Westbrook
When They Played Together: (2009-2012 OKC Thunder, 2019-20 Houston Rockets, 2023-Current Los Angeles Clippers)
If there's anybody who knows James Harden best, it's Russell Westbrook. Harden has now played with pretty much every version of Russell Westbrook we've seen. He was there from the beginning of his career when the Thunder were the up-and-coming squad, he played with him shortly after Westbrook's MVP season, and he's now playing with Westbrook in his supporting role phase. Their time in Houston was brief and stunted by the pandemic which became the NBA bubble, but they still solid history together as they made the NBA Finals in 2012 with the OKC Thunder. Westbrook is one of three league MVPs Harden has played with in his career.
2.Joel Embiid
When They Played Together: (2022-2023 Sixers)
Joel Embiid is the only player on the list to win an MVP with James Harden on his roster. It's a shame Embiid didn't get another chance to play with Harden in the postseason while healthy but that's been the story of his career. In their brief moments together, they were a successful duo for the most part. Again, we didn't see Embiid at full strength in the postseason and even Harden flashed his greatness at points during their last playoff run. They fell short in Game 7 to the Celtics in a series they could've closed out in game 6. Who knows if they would've knocked the Miami Heat to go to the NBA Finals but they were certainly a tougher matchup for a Heat team that had no inside presence outside of Bam Adebayo. This duo is another "what if" situation.
1.Kevin Durant
When They Played Together: (2009-2012 OKC Thunder, 2020-22 Brooklyn Nets)
Kevin Durant and James Harden's run Oklahoma City gives more nostalgic vibes than "failure." Their run in Brooklyn was a total disappointment. As teammates in Oklahoma City, the Thunder were three wins from an NBA championship before Harden was sent to Houston to run his own team. NBA fans always harp on the hypothetical of "what if they didn't break up?" We'll never know but you can debate that if OKC kept James Harden, they could have under their belt.
As for Brooklyn, that is not the case. While everybody will point to the ultimate injuries to Kyrie and Harden in the postseason, the fact they broke up just months into the following season is where the disappointment lies. Durant and Harden were both MVP-caliber candidates when they teamed up in Brooklyn and to leave without any accomplishments as a unit will go down as one of the most disappointing teams in NBA history. Nonetheless if we evaluate sheer talent, KD is without a doubt the greatest player Harden has ever played with.