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James Harden's Predicament In Houston | Dunk Bait

Hosts of the Knuckleheads Podcast Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles join Lajethro Jenkins to talk about James Harden's predicament in Houston, playing against Michael Jordan and what truly happened to Paul Pierce in the 2008 NBA Finals.

Fans can look forward to new episodes on Tuesdays on all major podcast services and online at The Players’ Tribune website and video of the episodes will be available on Thursdays on The Players’ Tribune YouTube.

Video Transcript

- We are blessed to be here with the Knuckleheads Podcast, Q Rich and D Miles. You know, how you all doing, you all gucci?

DARIUS MILES: All right, man.

QUINTIN RICHARDSON: Perfect man, appreciate you having me.

- Your first question to players is whose the first person to bust their ass? You know what I'm saying. I want to know, who was the first player to give you fits, that people don't give enough love to now. You know what I'm saying, that was from your era?

- I'm surprised a lot of people don't be saying this much, but Chris Webber. And what's crazy, I'm a Fab Five fanatic.

LAJETHRO JENKINS: Yeah, yeah.

DARIUS MILES: Like a stand. When I got to the league he hurt my feelings. Man, he gave me like 36 and 15, and it was just-- I got all those, I probably got 30 of the 36 man. I felt defeated after that [BLEEP] and then I just see Q and Keyon on the sidelines giggling and [BLEEP].

- For me it was my rookie year, Vashon Lenard, man. 'Cause sometimes as a rookie, you get a chance to start some games and stuff like that in the preseason.

LAJETHRO JENKINS: Mm-hm.

QUINTIN RICHARDSON: Put me out there, let me see what I got. I'm feeling confident, like, yeah you know what I'm saying, it's just-- you know this Vashon Lenard this ain't like, this ain't like T-Mac or nobody.

LAJETHRO JENKINS: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.

QUINTIN RICHARDSON: That first six minutes, the time out that come at the first six minutes, boy I came and sat down, first I was gassed, because I wasn't used to that Denver altitude.

LAJETHRO JENKINS: Mm-hm.

- I was gassed, but not only that, the man had 16 in 6 minutes.

- So he was cooking, cooking then.

- Yeah, all that, hitting threes. Yeah, and he had post game too, so he was giving you, how you want it, I was like--

LAJETHRO JENKINS: Inside outside.

QUINTIN RICHARDSON: [LAUGHS] Yeah, all of that.

- Harden wants out of Houston. You know the OG stack, you know he has some things to say. Perk has some things to say, how do you all feel about the situation, do you all think he's staying in Houston. Do you think he should stay in Houston?

- I think he should stay professional. You know, stay professional. If that's what he wants, I feel like he expressed it, and get back to doing what he's doing. You know, and let them handle that, you know. Every other NBA player-- this is not the Football League, we can't hold out, can't to do all that. The history of it, we stay professional, it's a lot of people that didn't want to be where they at. Tell them, stay professional, do what you do, and you know, they'll do their job to get you up out of there.

- I don't have an opinion on whether he should stay or should go. That's his decision on his own, you know, I don't have to live where he does, and do what he does, so for me, it's not about that. To me, it's like D said, whatever it is, just handle your business, and stay professional. Set a good example for these guys watching behind you. 'Cause that's the only thing that I don't like about the situation, because there's some guys that are young, and they may see that and think that it's cool, or it's the right thing to do or the right way to go about it.

And he's one of our best players in the NBA, and he's going to be looked up to and respected, so I would just want him to set the right example for those guys watching him. But beyond that, like D said, let your you know-- we got agents and representation to handle that for you. You show up, put on your game face, and do your job, and then you know, everything else will work itself out.

- Lamar Jackson, he had a big game last night on Monday Night Football. [LAUGHS] Crazy, looked good. Left for a little bit. People said that [LAUGHS] he might have [BLEEP] his pants. [LAUGHS] He said, straight up, post game, I didn't pull a Paul Pierce.

- I was cramping, I ain't pulling a Paul Pierce.

- You all played during that time period. All right? Y'all had him on the show. Can you answer the age old question, did he [BLEEP] himself in 2008 finals?

- I like, I literally never even heard anything about that part of the story until way-- I don't think I heard that until after he retired maybe. But no I didn't think that was it, because they had on-- I don't know what color Jersey they had on--

LAJETHRO JENKINS: White. It was white.

QUINTIN RICHARDSON: You might have got to see that, if that was the case, but.

[LAUGHTER]

DARIUS MILES: I used to have a poster always to tell me, because you hurt or you injured?

LAJETHRO JENKINS: OK.

DARIUS MILES: If you hurt, you ain't playing no more. If you injured, get on up, get on the sideline, get you some water so I can put you back in the game.

LAJETHRO JENKINS: Mm-hm.

- I think he was just injured. I mean hurt, and he just needed to just go to the bench and just get some water, but he wanted to go all the way to the locker room and--

LAJETHRO JENKINS: Get that wheelchair out. And he came back and played so. [LAUGHS]

Would you all have preferred to play in today's league? Or, you know what I'm saying, do you think you could-- what do you think you'd have done in today's league?

- I'm grateful for when I came in. I wouldn't trade it for the world, because man, I got the opportunity to come in, and-- I mean you get the chance to play against Karl Malone, John Stockton, and see how that [BLEEP] really worked, and the reason why they were that good.

- I feel like we was right there in that sweet spot. Like he said, where we caught the tail end of a lot of greatness. And got a chance to do all that up for three, four, five years, and then we still got to experience the whole generation with the Kobes, and the T-Macs and everybody that came with that generation.

DARIUS MILES: We the middle child. And one thing too, I forgot to say, and let me say this 'cause me and Q cherish this moment. We got the opportunity to play against Michael Jordan. That was something that we never thought we was going to ever be on-- a chance to be on the court with Mike, and all that stuff man.

LAJETHRO JENKINS: And you-- Q you're from Chicago, you know what I'm saying, like that had to be insane.

- It don't get bigger than MJ and Scott, it does not get bigger than that for me. Like I remember sitting on ESPN The Jump next to Scott, and I had to just turn to him and say bro this is crazy.

LAJETHRO JENKINS: [LAUGHS]

QUINTIN RICHARDSON: Like I don't care, I'm gonna say it. This is crazy. Like, you've got to understand, me from yay high, like that's what it is, MJ and Scottie. It was like, to be able to be around those dudes, talk to them, or any of that, like D said, that moment on the court, like that was the craziest thing.

I told the dude with the camera, like you know how we got the photographers at the game, went up to one of the guys, and I said, Yo, man I don't care what's going on, when I'm standing still, if I'm standing next to him, I'm tying my shoes, I said, get shots of me next to MJ.

LAJETHRO JENKINS: [LAUGHS] You need that.

QUINTIN RICHARDSON: I need that.

- All right man, it's been great talking to you all, appreciate you all, wish you all the best of luck. I'm a big fan, so this is great, like I said, I'm from St. Louis, so this is a big-- this is big to me. But anyway, you all take care and be cool. Stay safe. Thank you all.

QUINTIN RICHARDSON: Appreciate you having us, man.

DARIUS MILES: Bro. For sure.

[THEME MUSIC]