Luka Doncic has been otherworldly this season, stuffing the stat sheet with averages of 33.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game on 50.1% shooting from the field. The Slovenian icon is also doing this while leading the Dallas Mavericks to the fifth seed in the Western Conference with a record of 27-25.
A number of fans and pundits are in awe of Doncic’s level of play and amount of offensive burden over his career. While his feat is nothing short of extraordinary, many don’t seem to realize that James Harden used to do this while playing for the Houston Rockets a few years back.
Like Doncic, Harden was a pinnacle of heliocentric offense during his entire tenure in Houston. He was an unstoppable offensive force who also used to single-handedly carry his team to victory while putting up historic numbers in the process.
That being said, there seemed to be a different perception around Harden back then despite doing the same things Doncic is doing today. Former NBA shooting guard Jamal Crawford took notice of this and questioned why Harden didn’t get the same love during his entire run.
“The stuff you see with Luka [Doncic] doing right now, you go back and look Harden is doing all the same things. Why do we not give [James] Harden his love when he was doing all the same numbers in Houston?”
.@JCrossover: “The stuff you see with Luka [Doncic] doing right now, you go back and look Harden is doing all the same things. Why do we not give [James] Harden his love when he was doing all the same numbers in Houston?” pic.twitter.com/w53KB5Mg7G
— ‘ (@_Talkin_NBA) February 1, 2023