James Harden downplays beef with Chris Paul: 'It was a lot of false talk ... We're good.'

Despite reports that said otherwise, Houston Rockets star James Harden insists that there is no beef between him and former teammate Chris Paul.

Speaking at his basketball camp, Harden downplayed reports of a rift between him and Paul.

He told the Houston Chronicle, "It was a lot of false talk. Obviously as teammates, as competitors we argue on the court. You have your disagreements on the court, your arguments on the court, but that's just part of basketball. Everybody has that no matter what level of basketball you're in."

Instead, Harden says that the pair remained in communication and despite no longer being teammates are still cool with each other.

“All the negative media stuff and all that stuff that was going on and running, it wasn’t true. Me and Chris had constant communication and we’re good.”

Harden paid no attention to reports of rift with Paul

In June, it was reported that the relationship between Harden and Paul reached a breaking point with Paul demanding a trade out of Houston. The pair reportedly hadn’t spoken to each other in two months and created a harsh environment for teammates.

Less than a month later, the Rockets dealt Paul to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a move that reunited Russell Westbrook with Harden in Houston.

While the process was extremely public, it wasn’t upsetting according to Harden because he knew the truth all along.

“It wasn’t upsetting to me because I knew the truth. We knew the truth. It wasn’t upsetting at all,” Harden said. “It’s pretty funny how guys can speculate and make up false stories on the TV and then you got people believing it. That’s where guys have to make sure their facts are true before they put stuff in the media or national television. But for personally, and I’m sure for Chris as well, we didn’t pay any attention to it.”

Harden elected to praise Paul for the lessons he taught him and likened the relationship not working out to life and the business of basketball.

“Chris has been unbelievable these last two years,” he said. “He’s helped me as a leader, as a mentor, just all that good stuff. I guess it’s life. It’s the business how things just don’t work out. He’s a great dude I have nothing negative to say about him.”

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