HOUSTON — A baby-faced, 20-year-old James Harden reported to training camp for his rookie season with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009.
Way before “The Beard” persona emerged, he came off the bench while playing alongside rising stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The left-handed shooting guard also left an early impression on his more experienced teammate Thabo Sefolosha.
A decade later, the former teammates are now competing on rival Western Conference teams with the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets for the second straight postseason.
“He’s always been a helluva player,” said Sefolosha, who played three seasons with Harden from 2009-12 before being traded to Houston.