SAN ANTONIO —
Just before practice began, the Clippers’ point guard leaned forward in his chair, watching as an assistant drew a marker across a whiteboard.
The conversation between the staffer and the superstar, James Harden, was over in minutes, and entirely possible to overlook — except that as soon as Harden joined the team, the former NBA most valuable player made it clear he wanted interactions just like this.
When Harden said during his introductory news conference that he wanted a “voice” and “dialogue” with his new coaches, he was saying he did not want to be just a player executing plays, but a partner in crafting them.