Evan Mobley says James Harden isn’t trying to ‘big-time anyone’ with Cavs

James Harden has an MVP award, 11 All-Star appearances and more than 28,000 career points.

Evan Mobley has discovered something else about him: He’s pretty normal.

Mobley was asked Friday in Spain what it’s been like playing alongside Harden, and admitted there’s still something surreal about sharing a locker room with someone he grew up watching.

“Like you said, a legend,” Mobley told reporters, via the Cavs’ media availability. “It’s crazy that I get to play with him and be around him every day and learn from him.”

But apparently the legend part disappears pretty quickly once you get to know him.

“He’s a great guy, just a normal dude just like all of us,” Mobley said. “He’s not trying to big-time anyone or anything like that.”

That matters more than it might sound. Harden arrived in Cleveland midway through last season and immediately became one of the most accomplished players in the locker room. He also joined a team that already belonged largely to Donovan Mitchell, Mobley and the Cavs’ established core.

By all indications, fitting in hasn’t been much of an issue. Harden helped Cleveland reach the Eastern Conference finals last season, then signed a three-year, $97 million deal to stick around. And as Mike D’Antoni said, anyone assuming Harden is “done” might want to reconsider.

Mobley, meanwhile, is getting a considerably closer look. The legend, it turns out, is just one of the guys.