Basketball Terminal

Chapter 76 Dark Night
The legend of James Harden circulates throughout Houston's nightclubs and strip clubs. While Harden's departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder is a major regret in NBA history and remains a favorite among fans, the Texas strip clubs would have remained perpetually shrouded in darkness had Harden not come to Houston.

The flight from San Antonio to Houston takes only an hour. After finishing the game with the Spurs, packing up, and arriving at the airport, I flew to my destination, Houston, just past midnight. It was the perfect time to go out and have some fun.

Harden was traded to the Nets just over a month ago. He spent the best nine years of his career in Houston, growing from a sixth man into an MVP-caliber superstar. He gained a lot here, but also lost a lot.

When he first arrived in Houston, no one knew how far this bearded third overall pick, playing under the wing of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, could go. His 2011-2012 season stats were 16 points, 3 assists, and 4 rebounds—a Sixth Man of the Year award winner—and suddenly he was poised to become a team's core player.

Many people worry that Harden will become the next Trevor Ariza. After winning the championship with the Lakers in the 08-09 season, the Rockets signed the 24-year-old Ariza and wanted to develop him as a core player, giving him unlimited shooting opportunities for a season. As a result, he earned the nickname "Iron Ariza" with a 39% shooting percentage and only scored 14 points per game. He had a bad season and left.

However, Harden joined the Rockets and led them to victory in the first two regular season games with a performance of 37 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, and 45 points, proving that he is not comparable to a role player like Ariza. He is the third overall pick and a potential superstar who can become the core of the team.

Harden's growth later saved Morey's general manager career. Otherwise, someone who was only good at calculations and numbers games, lacked intuitive understanding of basketball, and made a mess of the most basic things like drafting and developing rookies, could only be a patchwork tinker who picked up scraps from others. If it weren't for the Thunder's brain fart in giving away a cornerstone player like Harden, he would have spent his whole life picking through garbage and eventually being kicked out by the owner.

Harden thus gained privileged status in Houston, with unlimited shooting opportunities and a style of play entirely centered around him, fully exploiting his offensive potential. However, this also fostered a host of bad playing habits: defensive slackness, a lazy attitude, creeping fast breaks, relying on drawing fouls and free throws, and being a weak player in the playoffs, among others.

What makes you successful can also destroy you, and this is most evident in Harden's case. However, this didn't stop Harden from taking Levi, Durant, and others out after arriving in Houston, taking a taxi to the best strip club in town for a good time. He was still having fun, leaving on-court matters to the court, and going about his business off the court.

In the last game against the Spurs, Harden recorded a triple-double with 30 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds. With Durant absent, he stepped up as the team's leader, demonstrating his strong ability to lead the team offensively.

His commonly used offensive techniques—step-back three-pointers, driving to the basket and drawing fouls, and bold playmaking—are all highly efficient, lethal, and impactful skills that significantly influence the team. These were developed by the Rockets, who molded him into a highly efficient and efficient offensive engine for the team.

Li Wei was incredibly tired, and it was freezing outside. All he wanted to do when he got to the hotel was lie down and sleep, but Harden insisted on dragging him out, saying it was only a little past one o'clock and he'd be bored to death staying in the hotel if he didn't go out and have some fun. Besides, your steal and game-winning shot tonight saved the team, so I absolutely have to treat you to a good time.

Li Wei was initially very sleepy, but after being harassed by Harden and encouraged by his other teammates, he was no longer sleepy. They had agreed to have a trip to Houston, so why not do it today? He would sleep well during the day.

"James, I heard your jersey was retired at a strip club first, is that true?" On the way, Li Wei asked Harden curiously. It is said that Harden spent $100 million in one night at a certain club, and the owner hung Harden's jersey in the store and announced the retirement of Harden's number 13.

Harden smiled, neither confirming nor denying, and asked Li Wei, "Hey, do you still like Asian girls?"

"It doesn't have to be so strict. White girls are nice too. But I prefer them to be a little slimmer."

"Do you want to take your clothes off completely, or is it okay if you leave some on?"

"It doesn't matter, the important thing is to be happy, right?"

In some areas, laws prohibit complete nudity; women must leave a few pieces of cloth covering their private parts. This is similar to how some laws prohibit filming completely naked, so women wear high heels. The suburbs of Houston are less strict, but the areas are quite far away.

Li Wei just wanted to relax; there was no need to travel so far, especially in bad weather, just to save a couple of pieces of cloth. What mattered was the atmosphere, the quality, and the psychological experience. Some smaller clubs do have a wilder atmosphere, and there's a reason for that: either the quality is low, the staff is older, or the decor is poor. It's like the difference between censored and uncensored areas; uncensored areas are often not up to par in certain aspects.

Harden gave an OK sign and instructed the driver to go to a club in the city center frequented by white girls. As Houston's nightclub prince, he knew this place all too well. Houstonians were unaware that their King of the Night had returned.

Two black security guards greeted them at the entrance. When they saw Harden and Durant, their eyes widened. They immediately reported to the manager via walkie-talkie that their king had returned to his loyal Houston strip club.

Nightclubs around the world are all pretty much the same: a dark environment, loud music, creating a hazy, secretive, and exciting atmosphere. This club was huge, with women moving about in white shirts that looked like they were about to burst out of their clothes.

Some people recognized Harden and Durant, knowing a big business had arrived, and clung to Harden and his group, hoping to be taken to a private room for service. Two girls grabbed Li Wei on either side, rubbing against his arms incessantly.

Both girls were white, young and slim, not the exaggerated type. It seems following Harden was definitely the right decision; if two big-assed Black or Latina girls had stuck to him, Li Wei really wouldn't know what to do.

"Come on in, all of you!" Harden was incredibly generous, bringing all the girls who had followed him into the private room. Everyone could choose whichever girl they liked and have fun with her, averaging three girls serving each person. In such an atmosphere, people could relax immensely; capitalism truly allows the wealthy to enjoy a royal lifestyle. Durant, whose leg injury hadn't fully healed, was still out having fun. However, while watching the girls dance, he got distracted and suddenly raised his hand to mimic a shooting motion.

This guy's in nightclubs, but his heart's on the court. He hasn't had many opportunities to play these past two years due to injuries, and his hands must be itching to get back to playing. Watching Harden arrive and lead the Nets to better and better, I wonder what he's feeling.

Everyone had a great time that night, and seeing Houston at 4 a.m. again, Li Wei was truly exhausted when he got back to the hotel. He collapsed into bed and slept until noon the next day. Since the team hadn't scheduled practice, Li Wei chose to go to the hotel gym to refresh himself and prepare for the game the next day.

Harden returned to Houston, and in a pre-game interview, he stated frankly, "I hope to receive expressions of love from the people of Houston."

Harden wasn't just going to nightclubs to have fun. When Houston was hit by a storm and cold wave, leaving many people without water and power, Harden did his part by distributing free food to nearby residents through his Houston restaurant and delivering large quantities of drinking water to the community to help those affected through the crisis.

More than 3600 fans were allowed into the arena for the Nets' game at the Toyota Center on March 1st. This was the Nets' largest attendance this season. Therefore, Harden was under considerable pressure.

No wonder he braved the freezing cold to go to the club to have some fun on the day he arrived in Houston. He had mixed feelings and hoped to temporarily escape those annoying voices.

On the night of the game, when DJ Matt Thomas introduced James Harden into the arena in the same high-pitched, drawn-out tone he had used for the past eight seasons, half of the 3600 people in the arena cheered, while the other half booed.

Fans' emotions were just as complex as Harden's. Nine years and eight seasons, so many wonderful memories and exciting nights. In the end, it was all because of the lack of a championship, Morey's interference after his departure, and Harden's own choices—a complete mess.

Harden certainly won't hold back because of past friendships; on the contrary, he must deliver an outstanding performance. Unlike the red-hot Nets, the Rockets are currently in a very difficult situation.

After trading away Harden, they suffered a horrific 12-game losing streak, and it seems endless. The Nets' roster is already unbalanced, but the Rockets are even more so. None of their starting five players are over 2 meters tall, and their center is the 195cm veteran PJ Tucker.

This could be the shortest starting lineup in NBA history. The all-white Kentucky team in 1967 wasn't much shorter, but that was over 50 years ago in the NCAA. The Rockets' lineup is truly bizarre.

In this situation, DeAndre Jordan, as the starting center, is a pillar of strength in the paint. Even if he doesn't put in much effort, his impact under the basket is still immediate.

The game was largely predictable, with the Nets maintaining a lead from the first quarter and extending it to 15 points in the second, consistently putting pressure on the Rockets. After trading away Harden, the Rockets have finally begun tanking to contend for the top draft pick.

New general manager Stone won't be like Morey, maintaining a half-baked roster and waiting to turn small change into big money. First, opportunities like Harden's are once-in-a-lifetime and won't come again. Second, if you use this tactic too often, people won't fall for it anymore, and the collective bargaining agreement is closing loopholes to protect existing teams.

Tanking, drafting, acquiring highly talented rookies, and carefully nurturing them remains the best and most common path for NBA teams to rebuild and rise again.

Harden continued his excellent performance from the previous game; the strip club had no effect on his form whatsoever. He recorded 29 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds, achieving a triple-double for the second consecutive game, along with 3 steals on the defensive end.

The Nets easily defeated the Rockets 132-114, a 18-point advantage, ending their short Texas trip. Li Wei continued his strong performance, playing his usual rotation minutes and contributing 8 points and 7 rebounds. In such a blowout victory, everyone gets playing time, diluting individual stats. Li Wei didn't seem to be pushing himself too hard, preferring to conserve energy for the backcourt.

The Rockets suffered a 13-game losing streak, while the Nets achieved an astonishing 10-game winning streak! This was accomplished without Kevin Durant. The Nets have soared in the championship odds rankings on betting websites, their performance truly remarkable.

The plane landed at JFK International Airport, ending his four-day trip. As soon as Li Wei got off the plane, he turned on his phone and was bombarded with messages, many of which were looking for him.

Kim Mi-won is waiting for me at the airport. Scott Mitchell wants to meet tomorrow to discuss something important. My brother, Li Yue, says he has made an important discovery and wants to discuss it quickly. And Luo Ping says a great commercial endorsement is waiting for him and he's interested in discussing it further. I won't go into other random news.

What surprised Li Wei the most was that he received another message from Mavericks general manager Donnie Nelson, who greeted him and asked if they could meet for a meal in the next couple of days. The Mavericks were going to Brooklyn for an away game the day after tomorrow, and the two teams would face off.

(End of this chapter)