Los Angeles Clippers

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden has reportedly taken his commitment to basketball to a new level this season.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, people close to Harden said the 35-year-old veteran is "dedicated to getting the most sleep of his life" and has been putting in extra work on the court.

The sources added that Harden has been a positive influence on his teammates, including center Ivica Zubac, who has been doing a great deal of on-court work with Harden.

Harden has long been known for his hard-partying ways, with an anonymous NBA general manager telling Scott Davis of Business Insider in 2021 that "off-the-court habits" were "legendarily bad."

One year earlier, ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported that Harden often asked for and was granted a day off during his time with the Houston Rockets when there were two or three days between games.

On those off days, Harden would sometimes charter private flights to Las Vegas and elsewhere in order to party.

Although Harden is still in search of his first NBA championship, his off-court lifestyle did little to negatively impact his play during his nine seasons in Houston, as he earned nine All-Star selections and won three scoring titles and one NBA MVP Award.

Harden was dealt from Houston to the Brooklyn Nets during the 2020-21 season, and then from Brooklyn to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2021-22.

The Sixers then traded Harden to the Clippers early in the 2023-24 campaign, and he signed a two-year, $70 million deal to remain with the Clips back in July.

Through 24 games this season, Harden has been highly productive, averaging 21.6 points, 8.5 assists, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 three-pointers made and 1.6 steals per contest.

Despite Kawhi Leonard having yet to play this season due to injury, the Clippers are sixth in the Western Conference with a 14-10 record, and Harden is a big reason why.

Windhorst noted that sources said Harden "still does" enjoy his time off the court, but whatever changes he has made seem to be working.

Even though there's no definite return timeline for Kawhi Leonard, the Los Angeles Clippers are encouraged by the progress he's making in his recovery from a knee injury.

Head coach Tyronn Lue told reporters on Friday that Leonard is "progressing well" and he's been able to do some things on the court recently, but they are going to make sure he's at 100 percent before putting him in games.

Tyronn Lue on Kawhi Leonard’s recovery pregame:

“He's progressing well. He's been able to get on the court and do some things on the court, which is good for us. So just still checking every box, making sure that he's doing the right things and his workouts are really good and… pic.twitter.com/NNAczOq036

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) November 30, 2024

Leonard has been dealing with knee issues since the end of last season. He missed the final eight games of the regular season with soreness in his right knee.

The Clippers tried playing him in their first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks, but he had to be shut down after struggling to make it through Game 3.

Despite missing the final two games of the postseason, Leonard tried to play for Team USA over the summer. USA Basketball wound up getting replacing him on the roster by Derrick White, but Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said there was no setback with Leonard's injury recovery:

"No, it was USAB's call and I was quite frankly very disappointed with the decision. Kawhi wanted to play. We wanted him to play. I was there the first two practices, he looked very good. Was a full participant in everything that they did. I wasn't there for the third practice where ultimately that was the point where they decided to go in a different direction [last Wednesday]. I expressed to them I really wish that they would've given Kawhi more time."

Even though there was no setback for Leonard at that time, the Clippers announced on Oct. 17 he would be out indefinitely to start the season to continue rehabbing his right knee.

There has been no update from Lue or the Clippers about when Leonard might make his season debut. He has already missed 21 games so far.

Since signing a three-year, $153 million extension with the Clippers on Jan. 10, Leonard has played in 36 out of 71 possible games (including the playoffs). Assuming he misses at least one more game, this will be the sixth time in eight seasons he has played in 60 or fewer games.

The Clippers have been able to stay above water without Leonard. They are currently eighth in the Western Conference with a 12-9 record thanks to a defense that ranks fourth in points allowed per game and sixth in rating.

Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden is admitting defeat in any quest to claim the NBA's all-time three-point record.

Harden moved into the No. 2 spot on the career threes list ahead of Ray Allen in Sunday's 116-105 win over the Utah Jazz. Unfortunately for the 10-time All-Star, he needs to hit 807 long-range jumpers to overtake Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry.

After the game, Harden reflected on his achievement and shouted out some of his teammates who helped him get here:

James Harden speaks on passing Ray Allen and also shouts out Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook for creating an example for him in OKC that helped him become great.

Harden: “They set the blueprint. When I got there they had the blueprint of how to work… So all I did was just… pic.twitter.com/wEde8tIctY

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) November 18, 2024

When it comes to chasing down Curry, he's already waving the white flag. He believes the record may stand the test of time because the two-time MVP "can shoot the s--t out of the ball."

Can James Harden pass Steph Curry in three-pointers?

Harden: “I’m one of the most confident guys that we have in this league. But no. I probably won’t catch Steph. I don’t think anybody will… He can shoot the shit outta the ball.” pic.twitter.com/hqExBDk0BV

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) November 18, 2024

To provide some context on the gap between Curry and Harden, 402 made threes is the single-season record, set by the former in 2015-16. So Harden would need to have two years at a record-setting pace just to get there, which also hinges on Curry not adding to his career total.

There was a time when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time scoring record looked equally untouchable. Surely no player could maintain the kind of longevity required to pass the legendary center.

Then LeBron James made it happen.

There's no question Curry has significantly influenced modern NBA offenses, but we're only starting to see the way in which he has shaped how younger generations play the game. There might come a time when a serious challenger to the Warriors guard emerges.

Los Angeles Clippers center Mo Bamba made a joke at the expense of Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid when discussing his availability on both ends of back-to-backs.

"I am not Joe [Joel Embiid]," Bamba told reporters. "Nah, I'll die on my shield if I have to, but there's definitely a plan in place. I think there was a little bit of a minute restriction here, but I didn't reach those minutes, so I think going into tomorrow, I feel pretty comfortable, feel pretty good and springy, so we'll see tomorrow."

Mo Bamba on his injury management plan and if he can play back-to-backs:

“I am not Joe (Joel Embiid). Nah, I'll die on my shield if I have to, but there's definitely a plan in place. I think there was a little bit of a minute restriction here, but I didn't reach those minutes,… pic.twitter.com/2ex5TbdhDC

— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) November 18, 2024

Embiid previously revealed that he'll "probably never play back-to-backs" throughout the rest of his career before the start of the regular season, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

Bamba and the star center were teammates on the 76ers during the 2023-24 season.

After signing a one-year contract with the Clippers as a free agent in July, the 26-year-old missed the team's first 13 games of the season because of left knee soreness.

Bamba eventually made his regular-season debut on Sunday, scoring nine points and pulling down eight rebounds in 15 minutes during a 116-105 win over the Utah Jazz. He shot 4-8 from the field, missing both of his attempts from behind the arc.

While he poked fun at his former teammate, there doesn't appear to be any bad blood between the two centers. In fact, Bamba praised Embiid following Philadelphia's 2023-24 campaign.

"I've known Jo before I even came into the league and there's been a bunch of stuff kinda surrounding Jo and things that he's gotten over and things that he's gotten better at and, like, not being on the team, it's easy to kinda hear those types of things and be like 'Alright, this must be true' or whatever," Bamba said, per USA Today's Ky Carlin. "Being here and seeing how he works and seeing how he attacked every day even though he was nowhere near 100%, that's what made most proud of him."

Bamba was selected by the Orlando Magic with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft. He hasn't been able to live up to his status as a former lottery pick, as the Clippers are the fourth team that he's suited up for since the start of the 2022-23 season.

As for Embiid, he's appeared in just two games to open the regular season because of knee injury management as well as a three-game suspension for making physical contact with a reporter in the locker room.

The seven-time All-Star is still attempting to look like his former self, averaging just 16.5 points while shooting 7-26 from the field in two appearances.

The Houston Rockets have significant momentum early in the 2024-25 season.

Houston improved to 5-1 in its last six and 8-4 overall with a 111-103 victory over James Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers in Wednesday's Western Conference showdown at the Toyota Center.

Six different Rockets players scored in double figures, including Jalen Green (21 points, seven rebounds and four assists) and Alperen Şengün (13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks).

As for Los Angeles, it was 4-1 in its previous five even though Kawhi Leonard is yet to play this season but fell to just 6-6 overall. Harden got off to a quick start but struggled with his shot for the remainder of the game as he finished with 19 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals.

He also didn't get the opportunity to rediscover his shot in crunch time, as head coach Tyronn Lue sat him on the bench for the entirety of the fourth quarter. Norman Powell also didn't play in the final eight minutes, which had fans questioning the entire situation:

Clippers have there entire bench in with 3 mins left . No powell or harden on the floor . Make it make sense

— Trevor_cody (@T_Rex_1991) November 14, 2024

For anyone who remembers Game 6 of the 2015 Western Conference Finals.... how weird is it seeing the Clippers mount a 20+ point 4th quarter comeback against the Rockets..... with James Harden on the bench.

— Sean Pendergast (@SeanTPendergast) November 14, 2024

Tyronn Lue has basically punted the fourth quarter with lineups that have never seen the light of day before and the Clippers are back within 11 because of ... well, I don't know what, but they're back within 11 after being down 19.

— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) November 14, 2024

14 Points at Half. 19 after 3.

Benched the whole 4th Quarter. It’s an 8 Point game with 5 minutes left.

Shoutout Ty Lue. 🙃 https://t.co/fCV8z1GkWA

— Calling Our Shot (@CallingOurShot) November 14, 2024

I'm pretty confused right now....

Down by 6pts in a very important conference matchup, Ty Lue benched all his starters & closed with two-way players.

Did he think the game was out of reach in the 4th? Or was he pissed about something?

— Betsey (@Betsycashmoney) November 14, 2024

Can someone please explain to me why James Harden is sitting on the bench??

— KB (@Xclusivekesh) November 14, 2024

Bro where is James Harden 🥸

— Oscar ✞ (@AboveOscar) November 14, 2024

So James Harden not coming back in the game 😒

— 🌪 (@melocrankituppp) November 14, 2024

Harden doesn’t see the floor in the 4th in a 10 point game in Houston???? pic.twitter.com/61SsKLPlYl

— Sir Grimy (@grimybets) November 14, 2024

Why is Harden benched in a close game???

— Reiko (@ReikoTKB) November 14, 2024

Even before he didn't play in the fourth, Harden was under the spotlight considering he played for the Rockets from the 2012-13 season until they traded him to the Brooklyn Nets during the 2020-21 campaign.

His name is all over the franchise record book where he is second in Rockets history in total points, first in assists, first in three-point field goals made, first in triple-doubles, seventh in rebounds and third in steals. He also had the chance to make NBA history, as he entered play just six three-pointers behind Ray Allen for second all-time.

Only Stephen Curry (3,779) has made more career threes than Allen's 2,973, although it looked like Harden would make the jump into second with a red-hot start that saw him connect on his first four shots from the field and three shots from downtown as he poured in 12 points in the first quarter alone.

2 quick 3s for James Harden... He's five away from passing Ray Allen for 2nd all-time 👀

Watch Harden's pursuit on NBA League Pass⤵️https://t.co/atCjzUEtim pic.twitter.com/zU5DYfXQVj

— NBA (@NBA) November 14, 2024

However, Houston largely seized control from there with its balanced attack.

Green and Dillon Brooks found their stroke from deep, Amen Thompson and Tari Eason provided a spark off the bench, Fred VanVleet added some scoring even while struggling with efficiency, and Şengün did a little bit of everything as he controlled the boards, protected the rim and facilitated when defenders collapsed on him.

As a result, the Rockets were in full control by the fourth quarter, especially with Harden struggling from the field after his performance in the first quarter.

Yet Los Angeles cut a 19-point deficit to as little as four by the final two minutes before Houston ultimately held on for the win. Perhaps Lue didn't want to disrupt the momentum his team built by putting Harden and Powell back into the game during the run, but it still led to some questions from fans who were watching.

The two teams play again Friday, so Harden will have another opportunity to hand his former club a loss.

As Paul George continues to get back into the swing of things now that he is with the Philadelphia 76ers, his original intention after last season wasn't to leave the Los Angeles Clippers because of his affinity for Kawhi Leonard.

Speaking to Melissa Rohlin of Fox Sports, George said he was "loyal" to Leonard for his role in originally getting him to join the Clippers.

"I had it in my mind this whole time—Kawhi brought me here, Kawhi was the guy who wanted me to play here, I'm stuck, I'm glued to him," George said. "That was my mindset. That was my mentality. I wanted to ride this thing out."

When Leonard was a free agent in the summer of 2019, he took on the task of trying to bring a another All-Star player with him to Los Angeles.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne noted at the time that before Kevin Durant signed with the Brooklyn Nets, Leonard called him to gauge his interest in playing for the Clippers. When that didn't work, the two-time NBA Finals MVP pivoted to George even though he was under contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder acquiesced to George's trade request in a deal that, with the benefit of hindsight, looks like one of the best moves in NBA history for Oklahoma City.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1LK7aXIKrY

The Clippers did make an attempt to keep George, but they weren't going to budge off their offer that was similar to the three-year, $153 million extension Leonard signed in January.

ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk reported in July that the Clippers made George a three-year, $150 million offer, but they had "no interest" in adding a no-trade clause or giving him a fourth year for an additional $57 million that would have taken him through his age-37 season.

The 76ers were willing to give George the offer he wanted and signed a four-year, $211.6 million with the hope he can be a missing piece in their quest for an NBA championship.

Those five years of Clippers basketball from 2019 to '24 when they had Leonard and George will always be remembered for what could have been if both players had been able to stay healthy for a full season.

It's hard to fault the Clippers for taking a hardline stance with George given his age and how much they were spending in luxury tax, but once they decided to keep Leonard, their approach with George made less sense.

George averaged 23.0 points on 45.5 percent shooting, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in 263 starts with the Clippers over five seasons. He led the team to their first—and to date, only—Western Conference Finals appearance in 2021.

Paul George will return to Los Angeles on Wednesday night to face his former team, the Clippers, for the first time since signing a four-year, $212 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers over the summer.

And he didn't go into the offseason believing his time on the West Coast was ending.

"I think it got kind of misconstrued or [the] narrative kind of wasn't written correctly with the relationship with Lawrence [Frank], the relationship with Steve Ballmer," he told reporters Wednesday. "I mean, they were awesome the whole time I was here. Kind of the reason why it was such a shocking decision how it played out at the end. But they were awesome. My time here, I think that was kind of refreshing to be alongside and have a partnership like that with a front office. And so I think that was probably the highlight of the whole [time with the Clippers]. Just how great they were in my tenure here."

George had previously said the Clippers initially offered him a two-year, $60 million extension last season, an offer he deemed "disrespectful." He said he would have accepted the same three-year, $150 million deal the team gave Kawhi Leonard in January, but talks were ultimately put on hold around the All-Star break, and after the season George said he was willing to do that deal but with a no-trade clause attached.

The Clippers wouldn't concede on that point, George hit free agency and the rest is history.

In the aftermath of George's departure, the Clippers filled out the roster around Leonard and James Harden with complementary role players like Derrick Jones Jr., Kris Dunn and Nicolas Batum while maintaining flexibility to add another star in the future.

"We were able to get three guys who are tough, hard-playing guys," Ballmer told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "And we still have the ability to consistently make ourselves better. So, it was the right choice for us. Paul obviously thought it was the right choice for him. I'll miss him. Very good human being. Like him a lot, except when they play us. Wish him all the best, just not when they play us. And he was a good Clipper."

The Sixers have had just one game with a healthy George—and none with superstar center Joel Embiid, who was injured to start the year and is now serving a three-game suspension—and have limped to a 1-5 start.

The Clippers, meanwhile, have been without Leonard for the entirety of the 2024-25 season thus far and have started 3-4. It hasn't been the start either franchise would have hoped for ahead of George's reunion with his former team.

Philadelphia 76ers star Paul George is set to face the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night for the first time since leaving the team this past offseason, and Clippers governor Steve Ballmer opened up about his departure.

Ballmer told ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk that the Clippers made an attempt to keep George but also realized that signing him to a huge contract would hinder them from adding more talent to their roster.

"We wanted Paul back," Ballmer said. "We made him a big offer. We really wanted him here. We just wanted to not put ourselves in a position where we can't consistently be good. We offered them the max for three years and Philly offered them the max for four years. OK, I get it. But in terms of our trajectory and staying really good, it was really going to be an issue for us."

Ballmer went on to declare that Los Angeles managed to improve despite losing the nine-time All-Star.

"The truth is, with Paul not coming back, we were able to upgrade our team," Ballmer said. "We don't [sign] Derrick Jones Jr. if Paul comes back. We don't [sign] Kris Dunn, [or have] our new defensive identity. Might not have [signed] Kevin Porter Jr., Nico [Batum]. ... You could say, well, they're not Paul George. No, they're not Paul George."

While Ballmer's claims that the Clippers are better without George might raise some eyebrows, some of the players share the same views. Swingman Norman Powell called George's departure "addition by subtraction" and said there are many players who could step up and fill his role.

Star forward Kawhi Leonard, who has yet to make his season debut while nursing a knee injury, agreed that losing George doesn't have to impact the team in a negative way.

"You don't need that many stars to win," Leonard said. "It's about the amount of people you have around you. You need talent. If it's three superstars, you still need those role players or piece players within that team to make you win a championship, even if it's two or one [star] player. We'll see as the season goes on and the pieces we need or if it's the right team to win. We feel like we got some players that could help us. But we'll see as it unfolds."

The Los Angeles Clippers handed the Golden State Warriors their first loss of the season on Sunday after a 112-104 victory.

With Kawhi Leonard still sidelined, the trio of James Harden, Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell continued leading the way for Los Angeles. Harden had 23 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds while Zubac put up 23 points, 17 boards and six assists.

After a scorching hot 37-point performance against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, Powell cooled off a bit but still finished with 20. Derrick Jones Jr. also had his best game of the season as the new addition to the Clippers' roster put up 18 points.

Following the win, fans praised Harden, Zubac, Powell and the Clippers supporting staff for picking up another win despite being without Leonard.

James harden got the clippers playing elite ball man uno might be back

— Uno (@223__Ali) October 28, 2024

James harden isn’t a system player, he’s a system

— Richard 🐐 (@pbp_Rich) October 28, 2024

Zubac showing up every night to drop a light 23 points and 12 rebounds pic.twitter.com/hM9ftzz9js

— CLIPSET🔥✂️ (@PrimeLAC_) October 28, 2024

The Clippers have four starters in double figures through three quarters.

Norman Powell: 18 PTS
James Harden: 17 PTS
Ivica Zubac: 17 PTS
Derrick Jones Jr.: 17 PTS

Clippers lead Warriors 86-79.

— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) October 28, 2024

Clippers are still one of the best teams in the West tbh especially once Kawhi returns.

Harden Kawhi Zubac Powell is a great 4 man combination

— 🎗NBA•Fan🎗 (@Klutch_23) October 28, 2024

Powell and zubac are good basketball players.

— Deon (@dsmoove2741) October 28, 2024

Clippers were never going to be bad. Harden, zubac, Powell, and the roster has good talent. Lue is very good too

— Richard 🐐 (@pbp_Rich) October 28, 2024

https://twitter.com/BrownJeylani/status/1850728986181034068

https://twitter.com/Moose_NBA/status/1850725466652434730

For the Warriors, a loss to the Clippers isn't where their problems ended on Sunday. Star Steph Curry exited the game during the fourth quarter due to a left ankle sprain, Golden State announced on social media.

Dubs fans can only hope Curry's injury doesn't sideline him too long as the veteran guard is essential to the team's playoff hopes this year.

The Clippers have had a tough stretch to start the season with matchups against the Phoenix Suns, Nuggets and Warriors early on. Confidence should be high after winning two out of those three matchups, especially with a star like Leonard out.

As he continues to look for possible suitors, P.J. Tucker is drawing trade interest from a handful of teams.

Per The Athletic's Kelly Iko, the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns—all of which Tucker played for in the past—have held trade conversations with the veteran power forward's representation.

Tucker is away from the Clippers indefinitely as the team searches for a trade for him.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported Thursday that the Clippers had given Tucker's agent permission to speak with other teams about a trade and noted that "both sides continue working together."

Tucker has publicly expressed his desire to be traded from the Clippers in the past, picking up a $75,000 fine last season for doing so.

While he didn't get the trade he wanted last year, Los Angeles has been much more willing to work with him this year.

"P.J. is a pro who has achieved a lot in his career and there's more he wants to accomplish," the Clippers wrote in a statement earlier in October. "We will continue working with P.J. and his representative to find the best situation for him moving forward."

Tucker spent five seasons with the Phoenix Suns from 2012 to 2017, a season with the Bucks and Heat, respectively, in 2020-21 and 2021-22 and was with the Sixers before arriving in Los Angeles early on in the 2023-24 season.

The 39-year-old likely won't be a huge difference maker to whatever team he ends up—he averaged just 1.6 points and 2.5 rebounds last year—but he can come in to provide defense and spot-up shooting off the bench when called upon.

It's also impossible to deny the importance of having a veteran like Tucker in the locker room for a team trying to win a championship.