James Harden has played on plenty of talented, championship-caliber teams throughout his career, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are no exception.
James Harden has been on plenty of talented teams throughout his career and has had the opportunity to play alongside some of the game’s legendary players, but he’s still waiting for the opportunity to call himself an NBA champion.
Even though Harden has never won a title, he understands what it takes for a team to do that at this point in his career.
“I've been in this league for 17 years, and I haven't won a championship. It's really, really hard,” explained Harden.
“You have to be really good. You have to stay healthy, and you have to have a little bit of luck. Health is the most important thing. And you have to be good enough. You're not good enough, like, we're not even talking about a championship.”
The good news is that, for the first time since being on the Brooklyn Nets, Harden says he feels like he has a true chance to win a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers: “The first step is we are good enough.”
“Being in the environment, from top to bottom, it's just like, it's like, it feels really good,” said Harden on Friday. “Like, our team is really good. And, like, even we haven't had a full roster for the most part; guys have been in and out of lineups, still trying to figure out adjustments."
Feb 22, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) gestures to his team during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn ImagesThere is no question that the Cavaliers have one of the most complete and talented rosters in the NBA.
Harden and Donovan Mitchell together are likely the best backcourt in the NBA. Evan Mobley is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Jarrett Allen continues to be one of the most underrated players in the sport, and Cleveland’s bench has plenty of depth pieces, such as Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis.
The key to making a deep playoff run will be putting it all together, and Harden is well aware of this reality.
“I think these 19 games is very, very important for us,” explained the Cavs guard. “Obviously, it's probably important for a lot of teams, but for us, just because we are good enough and, we really don't practice. So, in-game situations and lineups and all that good stuff is going to be happening, happening on the fly.”
Time was always going to be the biggest challenge for the new-look Cavaliers after the trade deadline. Cleveland can be a dominant team in the playoffs, but the first step to that is having everyone on the floor, healthy, and on the same page.
If they can do that, as Harden mentions, there’s no reason this team can’t win it all.
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