LA Clippers star James Harden recalls getting nightmares when playing against the Golden State Warriors.
The Houston Rockets vs. the Golden State Warriors was one of the biggest rivalries in the Western Conference during the 2010s.
On one hand, the Dubs had an elite roster featuring the likes of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. In comparison, the Rockets tried many combinations around their cornerstone player, James Harden.
However, the rivalry ended with the Warriors’ five straight trips to the NBA Finals from 2015 to 2019 while Harden requested a trade during the 2020-21 season.
The 2025 All-Star weekend will feature the Oracle Arena and the Chase Center sharing events. Harden shared his true feelings about returning to the Oracle Arena ahead of the All-Star game.
“We came in the same year, he’s [Stephen Curry] changed the game with his aura. Obviously, his shooting, his presence,” the Beard said of Steph Curry.
But, Harden didn’t share the same feelings towards the Oakland Arena: “Being in this arena gives me nightmares because I had to go against them. It was like a real battle. We literally created teams just to beat the Warriors, and somehow, someway, they always ended up in the Finals.”
Following a brief revisit to his Rockets era, Harden continued talking about Curry’s impact. Despite being rivals for so many years, Harden admitted that it would be “sad” when Curry retires from the league.
The Beard placed Steph in the same category as LeBron James and Kevin Durant, as the biggest influences of this generation.
Curry’s Warriors and Harden’s Rockets played in three postseasons against each other during the peak of the two stars’ careers.
The rivalry began in 2015 when Curry and Dubs defeated the Rockets in just five games. Curry also won the first NBA Championship of his career that season. A similar fate awaited the Rockets in 2016.
Despite having KD on the roster after the 2016 playoffs, the Rockets nearly clinched the WCF series in 2018. However, due to Chris Paul’s injury and H-Towns’ all-time poor performance from the three-point line led to the Warriors making a comeback after being down 3-2 in the series.
Overall, Harden has played 23 games at the Oracle Arena, where he has averaged 29.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game.
