James Harden believes he may be the closest teammate Kawhi Leonard has had during his NBA career, despite the two superstars maintaining a professional distance off the court. Harden told ESPN that sharing a locker room has created a unique bond with the notoriously private Leonard.
The revelation comes as Leonard and Harden have helped resurrect the Los Angeles Clippers from a disastrous 6-21 start. The duo has formed one of the league’s most effective offensive partnerships during the team’s recent surge.
Harden acknowledged the relationship remains unconventional by NBA standards. Neither player has visited the other’s Los Angeles home, illustrating Leonard’s preference for maintaining boundaries with teammates.
“I’m still trying to crack the code,” Harden told ESPN.
However, Harden believes their shared experiences and understanding have created a connection unlike any Leonard has previously enjoyed with teammates. The former MVP pointed to their daily proximity in the locker room as a key factor.
“Sharing lockers next to him, I think I get the most out of him,” Harden said. “Honestly, I don’t even know, I might have gotten the most out of him since he’s been in the league.”
Coach Tyronn Lue credited both superstars for leading the Clippers’ remarkable turnaround. According to ESPN Research, Harden and Leonard’s offensive rating ranks eighth among 146 two-man combinations that have played at least 700 minutes together this season. The pairing ranks fourth-best among any duo not on the Denver Nuggets.
Harden described Leonard’s lifestyle as completely focused on optimizing energy for meaningful playoff basketball. The veteran guard has observed Leonard’s meticulous approach to nutrition, recovery and training.
Leonard eschews sugary beverages and maintains strict dietary habits. He famously removed Gatorade bottles from a postgame news conference lectern last season, telling reporters that children should not consume such drinks.
In October, Leonard hosted 30 local high school students at the Intuit Dome for a mindfulness event featuring yoga and meditation. He demonstrated techniques he believes help manage physical ailments.
“If you practice this every day,” Leonard told the students while demonstrating a yoga pose, “those aches and pains will go away.”
Harden expressed admiration for Leonard’s mental resilience through multiple injury setbacks. Few players would possess the determination to continually return from such challenges, according to the 10-time All-Star.
“Most people wouldn’t have the mental capacity to keep coming back [from injury] the way he has, they’d have just given up,” Harden said. “But he keeps at it.”
Leonard’s recovery methods include premium alkaline water from Austrian brand Hallstein, which retails for $71 per six-pack. He prefers the naturally alkaline water served hot with lime juice, a habit dating to his San Antonio Spurs tenure.
“That’s the best water on Earth,” Leonard told ESPN. “It’s naturally alkaline. They don’t do anything to make it alkaline. And it’s in glass bottles so there’s no plastics or bad stuff in it.”
Harden continues learning about his teammate’s unique personality and habits. He believes Leonard’s mysterious nature may be authentic rather than calculated.
“With him I learn something new every day,” Harden said. “I don’t even know if he tries to be [mysterious] on purpose. I just think that’s what he is. Some people are just off the grid and don’t want people to know them on purpose.”