The question of whether superstars should hold weight in management decisions is an intriguing and controversial one. Most recently, rumors have arisen about LeBron James’ say in Cavaliers’ decisions, namely the firing of head coach David Blatt.
But according to CBS Sports’ Ken Berger, a more surefire example of this has occurred this season, involving Houston Rockets star James Harden:
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.
“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?”
This is not necessarily surprising. Rumors of tension between Harden and Dwight Howard have existed for weeks. The revelation that Harden had McHale fired is mostly new, however. At the time of the firing, it seemed as though Rockets management was hoping to create a spark that would help the team improve upon a poor start.
Instead, now it seems that the team was pandering to its superstar in firing the coach who contributed to a Western Conference Finals appearance last season. These powerful gestures from Harden could have a hugely negative impact on an already under-performing team.
There is no doubt that the relationship between Harden and Howard is skewed. Howard will mostly be gone from the team this summer, but before then, the chemistry between the two best players on the Rockets’ roster could lead to a disappointing playoff stint, if the team even makes it to the postseason.
Additionally, as Berger points out, having teammates know that Harden holds so much power within the organization is a dangerous proposition. Players may form cliques and have thoughts of pleasing Harden rather than trying to win during games. Harden’s organizational power is a tool that can have many major, negative impacts on the team as a whole.
