With 16 consecutive playoff appearances, the second most impressive streak in the league after LeBron James’ 21 successive All-Star selections, James Harden has achieved greatness, even without a championship.
In fact, Harden’s availability is a part of it, as he played 621 games and only missed 43 throughout eight full seasons with the Rockets, from 2012-13 to 2019-20. This shows that he truly loves playing basketball, and that there is no exaggeration whenever he mentions his passion for the game.
However, after Harden left the Rockets, he became available, but not to the same extent, to the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers. He then got traded to the Clippers, with the fan base hoping he would be able to show up more than Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
Well, Harden’s elite stretch of availability returned, and it is not a coincidence that this happened on the Clippers, which ultimately disproves the biggest concern of NBA experts all over the media.
The LA Clippers’ medical team will combat the age worries developed by NBA experts
The LA Clippers’ medical team gained all of their credibility through leading Kawhi Leonard to a healthy postseason against the Denver Nuggets, from start to finish. The world thought the Clippers were doomed, but as everyone knows, if there is a will, there is a way, and LA found it.
However, the unique strategy used to keep Leonard healthy is what the media sees, yet the overlooked matter is that James Harden has barely missed any time as a Clipper. This was largely a surprise to the NBA community last season, as he was 35 and played 79 contests.
Moreover, a medical staff like this is what every team in the league desires to have. It takes much more than A-1 recovery techniques and various types of therapies, as the Clippers boast the best trainers and team doctors in the world.
Therefore, the least of the fans’ worries is the team’s age. The better way to look at it is that the roster has an edge of experience over most teams, and this will be the reason they go far in the postseason.
That said, the medical team will be able to handle the downsides of age, if they emerge, which will eventually silence the critics, as their credibility is already extremely high with the two faces of the franchise entering the 2025-26 season in one-hundred percent form.