http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/7982195/the-many-faces-oklahoma-city-thunder-guard-james-harden

In high school and college, Harden had accepted the leading role — but only grudgingly. "Coming up, he was always the best player," says Glasser, who played with him at Artesia and Arizona State. "But he never played like he was the best player." Intensely competitive but eager to please, Harden only grew assertive when he realized that everyone — teammates especially — wanted him to. "Sometimes we would all just look at him, and it was kind of like, OK, let's go, buddy! We want to win, so we need you to take over!" Glasser remembers. "Whether he wanted to or not, he had to accept the fact that when the game was on the line, it was up to him. That just comes with the territory."

It's not that Harden was unwilling to dominate, but he was a reactive player who countered opponents rather than imposing his will on them. "James is like a martial artist," Arizona State coach Herb Sendek says. "He uses the force of the game against itself. He doesn't play with predetermined conclusions." On the first game of a northwest road trip his sophomore year at ASU, Harden dropped 36 points on 21 shots in a win over Oregon. Two nights later, against an Oregon State team that trapped and double-teamed him all night, he played the decoy role, and the Sun Devils won again. "After that game," Sendek says, "he was celebrating just as much as anyone. It didn't matter that he had barely scored."

Though Harden was slotted near the top of most draft boards, Presti's decision to pick him over Tyreke Evans, Ricky Rubio, and Stephen Curry was largely based on fit. Shortly before the draft, Harden sent Presti an e-mail explaining why he thought he belonged in Oklahoma City. "He made it clear that he understood the ethos of the organization," Presti says. "He understood the dynamic of our team, that it wasn't going to be a typical situation for someone drafted that high. Instead of being worried about it, he was motivated by it."