Via Houston Chronicle - Practice ends with the customary gathering at midcourt for a few words and a group shout of “one, two, three Rockets."
Now, it’s time to go to work.
The previous 90 minutes were not wasted, filled with drills and instructions sorely missed during the heavy demands of an NBA schedule. But the practice still was not enough.
James Harden lifted his season to record-book standards by working overtime. When asked what triggered the run unsurpassed in his career and in some ways in NBA history, Harden said he knew but would not say. But Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni revealed Harden took his conditioning “to another level."
Harden comes in early to do extra lifting. He runs the arena stairs before video sessions. On game days, he has added a morning session of treatment and stretching. And when each practice ends, Harden joins teammates Gerald Green, Danuel House Jr. and P.J. Tucker for one-on-one battles, sparring sessions in which the sparring partners hit back.
“He’s bringing his ‘A’ game,” House said of those competitions. “Of course, there is no referee so everybody gets real physical."
Read the full article HERE.