James Harden is aiming for Dwyane Wade’s 3 titles

James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers may have been the best shooting guard of this NBA generation. His resume speaks for itself as he has accomplished a lot individually despite being the sixth man in the first three seasons of his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

His on-field play and performance began after that point as he became the center of the Houston Rockets’ offensive game plan. He has made 10 consecutive All-Star teams since that move, making seven consecutive All-NBA Team appearances from the 2012–13 season through the 2019–20 season.

Harden has also won the MVP award once, placed second three times and third once. A spot in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame awaits him after finishing his career as one of the NBA’s top individual players in recent memory. However, the one thing missing from Harden’s resume is a championship.

Harden has played on numerous good teams in his career as he has made the postseason in every year of his career. But he has played in the Conference Championships four times and advanced to the NBA Finals only once with the Thunder in 2012.

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That lack of post-season success is what Harden believes holds him back when people talk about the best shooting guards in NBA history. No one is taking on Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant at this rate, but Harden has a legitimate reason to land right behind them.

Unfortunately, the fact that he doesn’t have a championship puts him behind a player like Dwyane Wade, who won three times, he says. Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sport shared the update.

“A championship is also the only thing Harden’s resume is missing. People familiar with Harden’s thinking have long cited Dwyane Wade’s three titles as something Harden sees ahead of his position in the rankings of the great guards in NBA history. The rebuilt missiles aren’t exactly a more established situation for Harden to earn a trophy.

It is rumored that Harden would consider returning to the Rockets, as he has an opt-out in his contract with a player option for the 2023-24 season. If winning championships is his No. 1 goal, it’s hard to imagine Houston being on his list of potential landing spots.

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The Rockets are still in the early stages of their rebuilding and would need a lot more than Harden to become legitimate contenders in the Western Conference. Harden will be 34 years old when next season kicks off, so sticking with the Philadelphia 76ers or finding another ready contender would be best for his quest to win a championship.