Anonymous NBA exec: James Harden unwilling to make sacrifices to win title

James Harden is on the shortlist of best current NBA players to never win a title, having won an MVP and leading the Houston Rockets to the playoffs each of the past eight seasons. But does he really have what it takes to win a championship? At least one league executive doesn't think so.

"I don't think he is," an Eastern Conference executive told Sports Illustrated's Howard Beck when asked if Harden would be willing to make the necessary sacrifices to win a title. "James is like Allen Iverson: He wants to win his way and put up historical numbers while he's winning. I would never question their desire to win, but they all want to win on their terms."

Harden has reportedly requested a trade from the Rockets and hopes to end up on a team he believes is capable of winning it all, with the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets at the top of his hypothetical wish list. But while nobody is questioning Harden's elite talent, some may join the anonymous exec in questioning if Harden is willing to make the necessary changes to his game in order to reach the next level.

Over the course of his career, Harden has made it to just one NBA Finals (with the Oklahoma City Thunder), and while the Rockets have been a consistent playoff team, they have only made the Conference Finals twice during Harden's tenure. If Harden's top priority is winning, he may need to make some major changes to his style of play in order to finally win a championship.