James Harden met with cheers, jeers in first full-capacity return to Houston

Technically, Brooklyn star James Harden made his first return visit to Houston last March. But with crowds at Toyota Center severely limited due to pre-vaccine COVID-19 restrictions, it wasn’t the full experience.

That wasn’t the case on Wednesday night, though, when Harden led his Nets into town to face the suddenly resurgent Rockets. With no capacity restrictions, it made for an electric environment, with “The Beard” receiving a mixture of both cheers and jeers from his former home.

For an All-Star and perennial MVP finalist who played eight-plus great seasons with the franchise, the love certainly felt appropriate. Yet, given the messy exit as Harden forced his way to Brooklyn and the diminished on-court product left in his wake, it’s understandable why some Houston fans weren’t yet ready to move on — particularly with this being the first opportunity for many fans to see Harden since his exit.

In time, the good of Harden’s era will likely outweigh the bad. Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta has already pledged to retire Harden’s number to the rafters, once his NBA playing days are done, and Harden continues to make off-court efforts to give back to the Houston community.

“I was there eight years,” Harden said pregame of his return visit to Houston. “My whole entire family is there. I’ve got a lot of things going on there. But just for me, obviously a lot of emotions.”

Some fans at Toyota Center roared their appreciation on Wednesday night, while others indicated that healing could take a bit longer than the 11 months it has currently been since Harden’s January 2021 departure.

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