I joined Rockets to form mini Shaq-Kobe with Harden but….. – Dwight Howard

Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard has told ESPN he joined Rockets because of James Harden and he did so he could form mini Shaq-Kobe partnership with James Harden but he is trying hard to figure out how his relationship with him deteriorated.

“Before I got to Houston, I didn’t know him as a person. What made me really interested in James Harden was the way he attacked the basket when he was at OKC.

“He was the glue of the team, attacking, making plays, dunking. I was thinking, ‘Man, this guy could be special’, he said.

“When I hit free agency, I watched YouTube tapes of James for hours. I looked at us as a mini Shaq and Kobe. I was thinking, ‘Man, this could be a new life for both of us.’

“And we had some good stretches together. Made it to the Conference finals last season.”

Howard didn’t deny his relationship with Harden isn’t what it used be, and he is finding it difficult to figure out why and what has happened between them.

“I don’t know. … I want to figure that out, too.

“I’ve been trying to wrap my mind around this season, what went wrong, and sometimes you can allow outside things to interrupt the circle. That probably happened with us.”

The 30-year-old center has an opportunity to opt out of the $23.2 million final year of his contract with the Houston Rockets looming on July 1.