The James Harden-Russell Westbrook era in Houston didn't get off to a great start, but don't worry about the relationship between the two All-Star guards.
During the Rockets' season opener against the Bucks on Thursday night, Harden and Westbrook got into an animated argument near the scorer's table. The video made its way to social media, eliciting plenty of jokes and overreactions.
Russ and Harden already going back and forth 😂 pic.twitter.com/s2W7d3f4yO
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 25, 2019
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Westbrook, who joined the Rockets as part of an offseason trade with the Thunder, was asked about the exchange after Milwaukee's 117-111 win over Houston. He downplayed the idea that it was anything more than a typical in-game discussion.
"I mean, the animation is because we talking about something. But don't dive too much into it," Westbrook said (via ESPN's Tim MacMahon). "Like I told you, there's nothing that nobody around the world, media, anybody that can get in between what we have, because we've had it for so long. So the more you keep asking, the more it ain't gonna work."
The dynamic duo struggled offensively against the Bucks, shooting a combined 9-of-30 from the field with 10 turnovers. They did grab 23 total rebounds and dish out 21 assists, but they couldn't capture the lead down the stretch despite Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo (30 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists) fouling out with more than five minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Despite the NBA universe's appetite for drama, this interaction shouldn't be viewed as anything more than two players going back and forth about team strategies. Both Harden and Westbrook understand there will be growing pains this season, but they have known each other since they were kids. They trust what they've built over many years.
"It's like, yo, we'll figure it out," Harden told GQ's Alex Shultz back in September. "Everything isn't necessarily going to be smooth at first, there are going to be ups and downs, and that's part of an 82-game season. Hopefully, by the end of the season, we've caught a rhythm and everybody is on the same page going into the playoffs. That's all you can ask for."
As Westbrook said, don't dive too much into it.
