Kendrick Perkins: Team USA players asked James Harden to leave OKC

Kendrick Perkins recently told the story of how James Harden was influenced to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012. During the 2012 Olympics, Harden joined Team USA, where he got to play alongside his then-Thunder teammate Kevin Durant and other notable names like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. While Harden’s talents were undeniable, he was seen as a role player for OKC at the time. However, all that changed after his teammates gave him some advice. Perkins revealed that James, Wade and a few other teammates of Harden played a role in his trade to the Houston Rockets during the 2012-13 NBA season. The former NBA veteran claimed that Durant told him that Harden was leaving after he won gold at the 2012 Olympics. It’s true, the bearded role player went on to become a superstar and change the landscape of the league.
Source: Clutch Points