Jan 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) reacts after forward Kawhi Leonard (2) scores three point basket against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

James Harden Gets Honest on Kawhi Leonard Relationship

Originally posted on Los Angeles Clippers on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Apr 6, 2025 3:39 PM ET

The Los Angeles Clippers have been one of the best teams in the NBA recently, winning 14 of their last 17 games to improve to 46-32 on the season and are just 1.5 games behind the third-place Los Angeles Lakers.

The Clippers have been led by the resurgence of star duo Kawhi Leonard and James Harden, who are re-inventing their games to bring LA into title contention.

During their hot 17-game stretch, Leonard is averaging 25.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 2.0 steals with 53.4/44.0/82.8 shooting splits, while Harden is averaging 25.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.4 steals with 45.4/37.8/86.2 splits.

Leonard, 33, and Harden, 35, have proven that when healthy and at their best, they are one of the top duos in the NBA. While their on-court performances have been phenomenal, Harden revealed what their actual relationship is like in and outside of basketball.

“It’s real. It’s just real," Harden said about his relationship with Leonard. "We don’t sugarcoat nothing. On the court if he sees something he’ll tell it to me. If I see something I’ll tell it to him. And we move on. We’re professionals, we’re grown.

"This is my second year, we’ve built a really good relationship. We hangout off the court. We know each other. Our communication is fluent. We say how we feel and we move on.”

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Clippers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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