In July 2014, Chandler Parsons got a harsh lesson in how quickly a player’s contributions to a team’s success can be dismissed.
Back then, his former teammate James Harden laid out who the Houston Rockets’ cornerstones were — and the diminished roles of everyone else. Unsurprisingly, Parsons didn’t take that lightly, making his displeasure clear in front of the media.
Trio or duo?
Heading into the 2013-14 season, the Rockets’ roster had a clear sparking point: Harden and Howard.
The Beard, in his second year with the team, was already establishing himself as the league’s premier scorer, while Superman had just arrived to anchor the paint and form a deadly pick-and-roll duo with his point guard colleague.
Having said that, another player demanded attention as well: Parsons.
A late 2011 second-round pick, he wasted no time proving doubters wrong. The former Florida Gator finished ninth in Rookie of the Year voting during his debut season and kept building from there. The numbers spoke for themselves: in his sophomore year, Parsons averaged 15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists while knocking down 38.5 percent of his threes on just over five attempts per contest.
Chandler, who posted slightly better stats in his third year, wasn’t on the same level as James or Dwight, but he certainly wasn’t an afterthought either. Yet that’s exactly what Harden hinted at after the 6’9″ forward left in the 2014 NBA offseason, suggesting it was his and Howard’s team, with everyone else falling on the other side of the spectrum.
“Dwight and I are the cornerstones of the Rockets,”said James, per ESPN. “The rest of the guys are role players or pieces that complete our team.”
Parsons spoke out
Shortly after signing a three-year, $46 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks as a restricted free agent, Parsons reacted strongly to Harden’s reported comments.
“That’s a pretty ridiculous statement if he meant that,” remarked the now 36-year-old.
Understandably, Chandler likely felt he had a much bigger impact on that Rockets team, which had won 54 games the previous year. However, his contribution apparently didn’t match that perception, and he drew his own conclusions from it.
“That’s part of the reason I wanted to go to Dallas, because I’m ready for that next step. I’m ready for a bigger role, and I’m ready for more leadership,” he said.
“If anybody should understand that, it’s James, because he was in the same situation in Oklahoma City and then he got his chance to come to Houston and shine,” added the Florida native.
Interestingly, the Rockets organization also had doubts about whether Parsons was the right fit to form a Big Three with Harden and Howard. The team held a contract option, but those doubts ultimately led them not to pursue it.
“We feel strongly that turning down Chandler’s option gives us a better chance to win a championship than not turning it down,” said Daryl Morey, Houston’s GM at the time. “It really comes down to the question of, Harden, Howard, Chandler, what chance does that [core] have a chance of winning a championship?”
Chandler, wearing a different jersey from the 2014–15 season onward, clearly answered that question for everyone.