SANTA MONICA, Calif. — James Harden, like the designer shades covering his eyes and the giant pendant hanging around his neck, was reflective.
His pause for introspection was unusual and somewhat unexpected: The Rockets’ star loves nothing more than blowing off invasive questions, and his recent schedule has been a disorienting blur of Things Famous People Do. Last week, he was trendspotting in Paris and Milan. On Sunday, he returned to Audubon Middle School in L.A., where he arrived on a fire truck emblazoned with his image, danced on stage with Rick Ross, and paid a visit to his old locker room.