As young athletes enter the NBA, they often grapple with immense pressure. However, a young James Harden demonstrated exceptional confidence when joining the big stage, boldly linking his game to that of Paul Pierce , the 2008 Finals MVP, and Manu Ginobili , who was already a three-time NBA Champion and Sixth Man of the Year recipient.
Rookie's confidence was sky high
Harden 's sophomore year at Arizona State saw him average 20.1 points per game, showcasing his proficiency from beyond the arc and in the paint. He was projected as a high first-round pick, so he didn't shy away from likening himself to two of the Top 15 players entering the 2009-10 season.
"Ginobili and Paul Pierce put together, " James said . " Can find his way to the basket, can shoot the pull-up, can shoot the deep three-balls. Whatever the coach needs me to do."
His comparison to Ginobili stemmed from the fact that both were southpaws, quick and light on their feet and could change their direction of attack with high agility.
At the same time, his Pierce-like ability to off-balance defenders manifested in his effective step-back jumper. Although Harden primarily compared playing styles rather than overall quality, his confidence spoke volumes. His collegiate statistics, boasting a 50.6% field goal percentage and 37.6% from three-point range, added credibility to his self-assessment.
Harden lived up to his confidence
One-time MVP didn't just live up to the hype of being the No. 3 pick but could also walk his pre-draft talk. In his first three seasons, he averaged 12.7 points per game and even won the Sixth Man of the Year award in his third year.
Manu averaged 12.3 points per game in his first three seasons in the association. On the contrary, James couldn't match Pierce's performance in his rookie year (16.5 points) or first three seasons (21.1 points per game).
Despite this, while Pierce and Ginobili went on to win championships and played pivotal roles in helping their teams attain that success, respectively, Harden has accumulated more individual accolades—3 more All-NBA selections than Pierce and 5 more than Ginobili. If Harden can maintain the same confidence, he might still have a shot at winning the Larry O'Brien trophy, even in the later stages of his career.
Related: Kobe's former teammate views James Harden as the best scorer ever: "Some of the stuff he was doing, it was crazy"
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