Yeah, he's gonna act up, a former Rockets assistant coach said.

We knew who the boss of the organization was.

That's just part of what the deal was.

When you go to Houston, the players, the coaches, GM owner all No, I don't blame James.

I blame the organization.

It's not his fault.

He did what they allowed him to dio All right, Stephen A.

There's a whole lot to unpack there.

I know you still moonlight with a little reporting.

So talk to me here.

Did the Rockets give him too much power?

I don't think so.

Um, you know, Listen, when you're the star, when you're the franchise, when you're the box office attraction and you play like a superstar, you deserve toe have cachet, you deserve toe, have clout.

The question is how you exercise it.

See the issue in question.

Should it be?

Did James Harden have too much power?

The question should be, Did he utilize it and exercise it appropriately?

And if you've got people waiting for team planes, if you've got people waiting to show to start the film session and what have you.

If it is true that Russell Westbrook was like, damn it, start the film start without him.

And that lent itself towards Russell Russell Westbrook being the professional that he is not liking tardiness and what have you?

If that's something that turned him off, then that's something that needs to be addressed.

I think the biggest thing is this.

James Harden had if James Harden had something to do with Kevin McHale.

Ultimate Houston, ultimately moving on from Kevin McHale, which he did, if he had something to do with them moving on from Dwight Howard, which he did, if he had something from them to do with them moving on from CP three, when CP three wanted him to not stand around and watch when the ball wasn't in his hand and to be an active participant in the flow of the offense, etcetera, etcetera.

And that was the reason that CP three was going and James Harden had something to do with that, which he did.

You know that's where it becomes a problem, because if you're the Houston Rockets organization, you should be in a position to say, Look at all we've done for you not just in terms of the money but the level of control we've.

We've allowed you tohave and it's and it comes across as if it is an abuse of power.

And where James Harden, who I love and respect personally and he's a superstar.

And as far as I'm concerned, if he wants out, dammit, move them.

Don't move them for cheap.

Make sure you get equitable compensation, but you don't keep your star there if he wants to leave.

Because the brother didn't miss games, he came out there and played leading the league.

One of the league leaders in minutes played playing through injuries always showed up.

I don't give a damn that he went to Vegas on his off day and parties.

Did he show up to work when he was called upon and did he produce?

And the answer to both of those questions are yes, So I'm going to defend James Harden to the hilt in that regard.

But what I will say is that with the backdrop of all of this leaking from the Houston Rockets organization, clearly the bottom line is is that if you've done all of that for James Harden, then James Harden shouldn't be seen at a strip club or at a party without a mask on around a bunch of people where he ends up having to be gone from the team for an additional six days.

Uh, just to ensure that there's a negative covert tests that would follow.

That is the height of irresponsible irresponsibility and selfishness.

And that's where James Harden hurts himself because of how he's perceived is conducting himself over the last week.

I understand why he's doing it because, he said in the message, I'm not gonna be cooperative if you don't get me up out of here.

I totally get that because he's a professional dude.

But in the end, you still shouldn't do that.

Particularly when you have that history that people are pointing to where you had such a degree of control, because then folks are gonna come back and they're gonna get other players there, Man.

I get James Harden max, but they'll get other players to follow.

They did it when LeBron went from Cleveland to South Beach.

They didn't get LeBron, but they got the players in that next collective bargaining agreement.

They were dogging in certain respects some of the particulars that I don't need to get into.

And that might not have been the case if their feathers weren't ruffled.

And sometimes the superstars need to be sensitive to the players below them in terms of stature, be considerate of that when they choose to conduct themselves in certain ways.

Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content.

Subscribe to ESPN, plus.