OAKLAND — James Harden was happy to be back — but maybe not in this building in these back hallways.
Walking through the guts of the former Oracle Arena after his All-Star practice concluded, it was easy to think about the multiple playoff series that ended when his teams couldn’t get past Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
“I don’t like this place,” he said with a laugh.
Yet Saturday morning in Oakland was just a singular blip on Harden’s All-Star experience, one this year that signifies his return to being celebrated alongside the NBA’s best.