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[Saba Sports News] James Harden likely isn’t pleased with the outcome of this year’s NBA Finals.
The Boston Celtics clinched the NBA championship on Monday night, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games. A significant storyline was 38-year-old Celtics big man Al Horford winning his first career title after 17 seasons and 186 playoff games.
Horford had previously held the dubious honor of the most career playoff games by an active player without a championship. With Horford now out of that category, the title passes to L.A. Clippers star Harden, who has played in 166 playoff games without a championship.
Harden, now 34, has come close several times, reaching the NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2012 and making conference finals appearances with the Houston Rockets in 2015 and 2018, but falling short each time.
On the bright side for Harden, Karl Malone (193), John Stockton (181), and Sam Perkins (167) still have more all-time playoff games without a title. Harden, a former MVP, is still performing well, averaging 16.6 points and 8.5 assists per game this year for the Clippers. As an unrestricted free agent this summer, Harden must decide whether to continue pursuing that elusive championship with the Clippers, who are in a unique situation.