James Harden: Rockets ‘not good enough,’ situation can’t be fixed

James Harden made his concession speech and got up and walked out. He hoped to keep walking.

With the Lakers’ latest blowout of the Rockets still fresh, Harden for the first time seemed to acknowledge that he wants out, breathing new life into his offseason trade demand.

“We’re not even close, honestly, to that team or all the other elite teams out there,” Harden said after the Lakers led by 30 on their way to a 117-100 blowout win Tuesday, their second at Toyota Center in three days. We’re just not good enough.”

Harden, however, made it clear that he considered the shortcomings to be greater than just in Tuesday’s loss, describing them as unsolvable. He then sounded as if he were offering a farewell.

“I love this city,” Harden said. “I’ve literally done everything that I can. The situation is crazy. It’s something I don’t think can be fixed, so. Yeah.”

He then said “thanks” and got up without taking any other questions, having made his feelings clear.

Harden had seen the Rockets in another up-close comparison to the NBA’s best and found the gap at least as great as with last season’s second-round playoff loss that sent the Rockets into an off-season of turmoil.

Having watching Mike D’Antoni leave as coach before the charter from Orlando had landed and Daryl Morey depart as general manager soon after, Harden — the Rockets’ eight-time All-Star, former MVP and three-time scoring champion — seemed clear that he wanted to follow Russell Westbrook as the next piece of the Rockets foundation to be sent packing.

“We’re just not good enough,” Harden said. “The chemistry, talent-wise, just everything,” Harden said. “It was clear. These last few games, from the beginning of the game, they were aggressive, a veteran team, obviously, a championship team, one of the best teams we have in this league.”

The difference between what the Lakers showed themselves to be and what Harden wanted was, as he said, “clear.”

More than ever, so is what he wants.