HOUSTON — James Harden is ready. For the music, the weather, the restaurants.
And, yes, he’ll work in some basketball as well.
“Houston is a beautiful city,” he says.
Harden will be making his NBA All-Star debut when the game and its weekend of festivities come to Houston Feb. 15-17.
In his first season with the Houston Rockets after an October trade from Oklahoma City, Harden has taken to the nation’s fourth-largest city. And for those planning a trip to the game, he’s set to play travel agent — where to stay, what to eat, things to do.
“There’s so much you can do, so if you come it should be a good time,” he tells The Associated Press. “There’s just so much variety.”
And with temperatures expected to be in the high 60s, a visit would be a welcome respite for fans from colder climates.
“That’s another reason why Houston is beautiful,” he said. “The weather is always nice for the most part.”
There’s also the throngs of rappers who will descend on the city for a weekend that has become known as much for big-name rap shows and parties as it is for basketball.
“I’m looking forward to seeing everybody from the legends like Jay-Z and Kanye West and Rick Ross, to the newer, young guys like Meek Mill and Wiz Khalifa and even Trinidad James,” he said.
The Sunday night game at the Toyota Center ends a weekend of events on the court, including the Rising Stars Challenge for first- and second-year players, slam dunk and 3-point contests and a celebrity basketball game.
“I’m excited to be a first-time All-Star and my first time being in Houston just made it more special,” said Harden, who’s in his fourth season. “Just to see all the newer guys like myself and all the other first-time All-Stars should be really fun.”
After games, Harden often makes the half-mile trip to one of his favorite Houston restaurants, Vic and Anthony’s Steakhouse, 1510 Texas St.
He likes the Atlantic salmon with Texas tapenade, king crab risotto and Brussels sprouts, but says you can’t go wrong with any of the steaks.
“Pretty much everything on the menu is really good,” he said. “Nice atmosphere, good people and very good food, so it’s a pretty good time.”
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