'Cheat code' Warriors may have eternally harmed former MVP's legacy

A long-time rival of the Golden State Warriors, James Harden has done just about everything there is to do across a decorated 15-year NBA career.

Harden won MVP in 2018, has finished second in the award on three occasions, is a 10x All-Star, and a 7x All-NBA member. The only thing missing for the 35-year-old? An NBA championship that's proven elusive despite making the playoffs every year of his career.

The 'cheat code' Golden State Warriors may have eternally altered James Harden's legacy within the landscape of NBA history

Without a championship next to his name, it's difficult to evaluate Harden's place within NBA history -- whether it be all-time rankings, the best ever shooting guards in league history, or more simply comparing him to other Hall of Fame players.

12-year NBA veteran Evan Fournier recently delved into the conversation, appearing to partake in an argument comparing Harden with 13x All-Star Dwyane Wade. In a post translated from French, Fournier said, "I think that if Harden doesn't fall on the GSW cheat code team for 3 years he ends up NBA champion and then we talk about him differently."

Fournier may have a serious point, with Harden and the Houston Rockets having met the Warriors in the 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019 playoffs. While there were some ferocious battles across the four series, Golden State got the better of Houston in five, five, seven and six games respectively.

Harden's best opportunity undoubtedly came in 2018 when the Rockets led 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals. Despite leading by double-digits at half-time of both Game 6 and Game 7, Houston crumbled to back-to-back losses which saw them eliminated by Golden State yet again.

Had the Rockets made it past the Warriors, they would have been a legitimate shot to take down a Cleveland Cavaliers team who were defeated 4-0 in the NBA Finals. How things could have been different, and instead we sit here six years later with Harden still having failed to taste the ultimate team glory.

Given the emphasis often placed on championships when it comes to all-time comparisons, it's not unfair to state that the Warriors have forever altered Harden's place in NBA history.