This has not been an especially good week for Rockets star James Harden.
Days after ex-girlfriend Khloe Kardashian's accusations that he cheated on her, the Houston guard's reputation again is under the microscope after a CBS Sports report indicated that Harden had a hand in the firing of coach Kevin McHale and tried to get the Rockets to trade mercurial center Dwight Howard.
Dwight Howard Could Be Out Of NBA If He Isn't Careful
In an article examining how much pull a superstar such as LeBron James or Kevin Durant should have in organizational decisions, CBS Sports cited the power that Harden wields in South Texas.
"Few players in the NBA have been as assertive as Harden when it comes to franchise-shaping decisions of the highest order. He now plays with Howard in Houston, of course, and the Rockets' season has been one disappointment after another. After a trip to the Western Conference Finals last season, Houston started the season 4-7 and promptly fired coach Kevin McHale.
"Multiple league sources told CBS Sports that Harden pushed management to dump McHale, and has since angled for the Rockets to trade Howard. Rockets GM Daryl Morey delivered on the first demand, but was unable to find a suitable deal for Howard at the trade deadline this month."
Khloe Kardashian Ruined Kevin McHale's Coaching Career
Harden argued his case that star players should have a voice in the personnel decisions the franchise makes.
"This is the team that they go out there and compete with, so [star players] should have some kind of say-so," Harden said. "Obviously, the owners and the general managers and those guys have the final decision, but the star player should have some kind of input.
"If you're the star player and you're going out there trying to lead that team every single night, I think that should be the case."
Of course, in Harden's case, the star player might help his own and his team's cause if he committed to playing defense on a nightly basis. And giving a player that much power also could have a negative influence on the team.
"It's really bad for the locker room dynamic," a person familiar with the situation told CBS Sports. "If everybody knows that James Harden can fire you or trade you, are you going to pass the ball to Dwight or are you going to pass the ball to James Harden?"
Earlier this week, Kardashian spoke about the reason she no longer is dating Harden, indicating that he cheated on her after he asked their relationship to be monogamous.
Lamar Odom also weighed in on Harden's breakup with Kardashian, according to HollywoodLife.com.
"The former NBA star was not surprised they broke up and now, he's claiming James was nothing but a 'groupie' to Khloe ... Ouch!"
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