Dallas Mavericks studio analyst Brian Dameris took aside two memorable minutes prior to Friday night's game against the visiting Clippers to deliver a scorching message to L.A.'s newly acquired guard, James Harden.
Before diving into the verbal flamethrower launched in the direction of the polarizing Harden, it would be wrong not to note that since arriving with his latest team, the Clippers have been awful with "The Beard."
The team's latest loss featured All-Star and team leader Paul George serving as a complete non-factor, finishing with just eight points. PG13's previous season low in an otherwise stellar start to the year had been 10 points, and that one also came with Harden on the court with him.
Now, for the Dameris rant, one that seemed long overdue and basically what everyone's been thinking ever since Harden strong-armed his way out of Houston.
James Harden is SAVAGED in brutal rant by former Mavs exec Brian Dameris... before Clippers lose third straight game since his trade: 'You're not the beard, you're not the system, you're the problem!' pic.twitter.com/vwR0aGCRCL
— SHO?NUFF (@IAMSHO_NUFF) November 11, 2023
This is a truly incredible rant, one that covers it all when it comes to the needy Harden and the never-ending carousel of his constant demands for change. All of which have never been good enough, and exactly why he finds himself in yet another new city preaching about a fresh start and team play despite referring to himself as "the system."
Here are some of the highlights from Dameris' epic message to Harden, who was in a broadcaster's version of the zone:
"I asked the producer to pipe this into the Clippers locker room so I can talk you, James. I hope you're taking notes. I'm telling you in advance, you're welcome for the wisdom I'm about to spew. Because listen, I get on my knees every night and pray for someone to believe in me like Daryl Morey believed in you. You wanted a certain coach, they brought in Mike D'Antoni. You wanted to play a certain style, they played it. You wanted Dwight Howard, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him. You wanted Chris Paul, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him. They brought in your old friend Russell Westbrook. You wanted to go to Vegas on off days, they looked away. You wanted the team to stay over so you could go out at night, they changed the schedule and it didn't work."
Unbelievable and, sadly, exceedingly accurate. With all of that being said, Dameris was hardly done:
"And you know what, you said, 'I'm going to break up with my woobie, not good enough. I see the bright lights in New York. I want to go there. My old pal Kevin Durant. It's gonna work. The big three.' And all after one year, you wanted out."
That was still, somehow, just the tip of the iceberg. But Dameris more or less covered the entire, ridiculous timeline of James Harden and his constant failed experiments that he so often famously bails on. Quickly.
But wow, "I'm going to break up with my woobie"? If this isn't completely rag-dolling a player with zero regard for whatever fallout might come from it, we're not sure what is. The parting shot was especially lethal.
"Hey James, you're the problem," Dameris said. "If this doesn't work, this year, in this system, with this team, then you're gonna go and point fingers at everybody else. And you're gonna go back home and you're gonna start swiping right for another team, and there's not gonna be anybody left. Because James, you're not the beard, you're not the system, you're the problem."
The "swiping right" dig was especially funny. But again, at this point, it needed to be said out loud for everyone to hear rather than the usual rumored words mumbled behind the scenes from anonymous sources.
The Clippers, a team that honestly didn't appear to be in desperate need to make a trade like this, already seem headed for disaster. On Friday night, they found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreboard in a 144-126 drubbing at the hands of the Mavs.
At one point — early on in the third quarter — the Clippers were down 88-56. It was never in doubt for Dallas and never a basketball game worth watching, save for Luka dropping 44 points. Meanwhile, since ridding themselves of Harden, the Philadelphia 76ers have been thriving.
Since the Harden trade:
? 76ers record - 5-0
? Clippers record - 1-4#BrotherlyLove | #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/tlINLEw0Tv— FanDuel (@FanDuel) November 11, 2023
Can't imagine where this goes for the Clippers should this trend continue, but it's not as though Los Angeles walked into this Harden trade without seeing an enormous "Buyers Beware" sign in glowing neon lights.
