Trevor Ariza had an impressive 18-year career in the NBA, which included two notable stints with the Rockets . His second time with the team, from 2014 to 2018, was particularly memorable. A significant reason for this was the outstanding performance of his then-teammate, James Harden .
‘The Beard’s’ greatness lifted the entire roster, and witnessing such incredible talent and skill left Ariza truly in awe. Even years later, when the retired forward appeared on a podcast episode, that admiration was still evident.
“To see somebody just have supreme confidence and to be able to use their creativity in their own way was nothing short of amazing. Every night was something different…just watching him [Harden] play—he's going to make it fun. He's a showman as well as a basketball player, so it was an unbelievable time to be a Houston Rocket,” remarked Ariza.
The Rockets tried a bold approach
During this time, the Houston roster was recognized as one of the most unique teams in league history. This distinctiveness was largely due to the innovative game plan introduced by head coach Mike D'Antoni , who took over in 2016.
The Rockets started to embrace playing small ball, often utilizing five players out on the perimeter, and their fast-paced style emphasized frequent kick-out passes to the corner. As Ariza noted, that system put every player in a great position to “boost” their individual stats, and he himself was a prime example of that.
Under D'Antoni, the former 3-and-D wing saw his three-point attempts surge to a career-high, averaging nearly seven shots from beyond the arc per game. Reflecting on the impact of receiving the coach's green light to take those, Trevor remarked, “Confidence will do wonders for a player.”
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'The Beard' thrived under D'Antoni
D'Antoni's coaching style not only empowered role players but, most importantly, enhanced the performance of his team's offensive superstars. During his tenure with the 7-Seconds-or-Less Suns, that role was embodied by the legendary Steve Nash. The point guard's game suddenly soared to new levels, culminating in back-to-back MVP awards under Mike's leadership.
A similar transformation happened with Harden, who, as Ariza pointed out, experienced a significant boost in his performance after teaming up with the new coach.
"When you have the ball in your hands and he's [D’Antoni] feeding you his information that he has from an offensive genius standpoint and you have a talent like James Harden, that's what you get,” the 2009 NBA champ explained.
The Rockets heavily focused on isolation plays, trying to bring out the most of their star player's unique offensive skills. 'The Beard' repaid that faith by delivering incredible performances for which he earned accolades, such as one assist leader title, one scoring title, and the 2018 MVP award.
Beyond these great feats, Harden's performances during that period, as noted by Ariza, had another significant impact: they influenced many other offensive talents that followed, with Trevor remarking about ‘The Beard’, “Everybody that comes after him just gets better.”
Related: "That shot my confidence through the roof" - How being teammates with Kobe Bryant helped Trevor Ariza
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