Harden won't mediate between KD, Westbrook: 'I'm staying out of it'
Between the 29.2 points per game James Harden scores himself, and the 27.4 points he generates through his passing, the MVP candidate already has enough on his plate without expending any energy repairing the relationship between his two ex-teammates.
"I'm staying out of it. It's not my place," Harden told SportsCenter Friday when asked whether he would attempt to mediate between Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. "I'm on a totally different team now. I know them both very well. If they need advice, I will give it to them. But I'm staying out of it."
The trio spent three years together in Oklahoma City, leading the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals before Harden was dealt to Houston. Durant and Westbrook spent a total of eight years together in OKC, with KD spurning the Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors as a free agent last summer.
Related: Harden, Durant, Westbrook headline Player Power Rankings
The two meetings between Durant's Warriors and Westbrook's Thunder this season have been physical, emotionally charged affairs, with the two superstars exchanging plenty of trash talk, particularly during Durant's Oklahoma City homecoming last weekend.
Durant has often tried to downplay the feud, while Westbrook has taken what many interpret to be subliminal shots at Durant throughout the year.
Harden, meanwhile, seems to be enjoying a less dramatic season in Houston, where the Rockets are on pace for a surprising 56-win campaign.