Although James Harden’s desire to move from the Philadelphia 76ers to the LA Clippers lingered for an extended period, the star guard has finally been traded. James Harden had initially requested a trade back in June due to a contentious contract extension dispute with the franchise.
James Harden, who was honored as a member of the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team, is a player with abundant talent but also has a history of leaving his team when faced with adversity. With Harden’s trade from the Philadelphia 76ers to the LA Clippers now confirmed, the star guard has taken a shocking swipe at his former franchise.
Harden claims Sixers hindered his performance
James Harden finally received his wish of a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers to the LA Clippers. With the announcement of the trade, James Harden was on Thursday night’s press conference, and his comments about his stint with the 76ers raised some eyebrows.
The star guard disclosed that he was being limited by the coaching staff in the roster, and also adopting the popular Jay Z’s line of him not being a system player but a system. James said “Someone that trusts me believes in me, I’m not a system player, I’m a system. Someone that could have that dialog with me.” As reported by Farbod Esnaashari on X.
This revelation by Harden aligns with the 76ers’ Coach Doc Rivers‘ previous comments that things changed for the team when Harden refused to play as a point guard to pass more rather than score. Coach Rivers believed that Harden aimed to score more after his snub from the All-Star team, which significantly affected their relationship, and Harden felt Coach Rivers didn’t believe in his outputs on the court.
Sixers trade James Harden to Clippers
James Harden’s blockbuster trade to the LA Clippers was officially announced on Wednesday after much anticipation. As reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal saw several players traded between the two franchises. The Sixers received Nicolas Batum, Marcus Morris, Robert Covington, and KJ Martin and included multiple draft picks. The LA Clippers, in turn, received James Harden, P.J Tucker and Filip Petrusev.
James Harden whose long-term relationship with the Philadelphia 76ers’ president Darly Morey soured over a disagreement in the contract extension, requested his trade after feeling betrayed. In the midst of the saga, the star guard made some bold comments and even described his relationship with Morey as irreparable. Harden said, “It’s not even about this situation. This is life. When you lose trust in someone, it’s like a marriage. You know what I mean? It’s pretty simple.”
With the departure of the experienced and talented Harden, the Sixers, who are looking to win a championship, will have to recruit willing and suitable players to partner with the reigning Kia MVP, Joel Embiid. How would you rate Harden’s stint with the Sixers? Share your view with us now.
