Yardbarker
x
James Harden pulled a Dennis Rodman toward end of his Nets career?
While on a recent road trip with the Nets, James Harden reportedly traveled from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas and apparently joined his teammates late for game in Denver. Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

James Harden and Dennis Rodman are both known for eccentric hair and a penchant for strip clubs. But it turns out that they may have more than just that in common.

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report detailed the straining of the relationship between Harden and the Brooklyn Nets in a feature published on Tuesday. One notable anecdote was that Harden, while sidelined with a hamstring injury in the final days of his Nets career, did not arrive until halftime for Brooklyn's Feb. 4 game against the Jazz in Utah. After that game, the Nets went ahead with their planned itinerary to fly to Denver for a game with the Nuggets on Feb. 6. But instead of accompanying the Nets, Harden instead flew to Las Vegas. Harden did eventually meet the Nets in Denver but also arrived late for that game.

Fischer adds that the short flight from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas for getaways is a Harden favorite, even dating back to his Houston days.

The feature also details the falling out between Harden and Kevin Durant, with whom he previously played on the Oklahoma City Thunder too.

Of course, the midseason Vegas excursion was Rodman’s patented move. ESPN’s “The Last Dance” introduced a whole new generation of viewers to Rodman’s Sin City hijinks while with the Chicago Bulls. One particularly wild Rodman trip to Vegas will even be the subject of an upcoming film.

When it comes to Harden flying from Salt Lake City to Vegas, that is straight out of Rodman’s playbook too. Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan once shared the story of how he partied in Vegas with Rodman in the middle of the Bulls-Jazz NBA Finals, the Worm having flown in right from practice in Salt Lake City.

It is essentially established folklore by now that Harden loves to party. But now it seems that he is partying on a level that can even rival the NBA’s all-time king of hedonism — the bad-as-he-wanted-to-be Rodman.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.