James Harden has faced significant scrutiny in the NBA since publicly criticizing the president of the Philadelphia 76ers. He received further scrutiny for not attending the team’s practice camp and missing the media day briefing, as he attempted to force a trade to the Clippers.
However, after trade discussions with the Clippers broke down and a prolonged dispute with the 76ers, an NBA legend seems to be strongly advising the Sixers to dismiss one of their top front-office staff, offering candid advice to the reigning MVP.
Kevin Garnett urges Embiid to take action against Sixers Daryl Morey
NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett has shared his strong opinions on the ongoing issues within the Philadelphia 76ers organization, particularly the prolonged presence of James Harden, who has repeatedly requested a trade but remains with the team as the 2023-24 NBA season kicks off.
Garnett believes the situation could have been resolved much earlier, and in a candid statement, he expressed, “This is the bull**** of whatever dude name is – the f**king GM in f**king Philly. These are games. He could have done this in the summer. This could have been over. If I’m Joel Embiid, I’m asking Daryl Morey to be fired and get the f*ck out… For good business, I just hope that the Sixers and James Harden come to some resolve.”
Garnett squarely places the blame on team president Daryl Morey for failing to take decisive action. He points out that this marks Harden’s third year with the team, during which he has demanded trades on three separate occasions. Garnett’s concern extends to the future of the current MVP, Joel Embiid, who is poised to pursue an NBA championship.
He also expressed confusion about the front office structure and emphasized that the situation with Harden should have been resolved swiftly, considering his MVP status, noting the potential for frustration on Embiid’s part. Garnett even injected some humor, suggesting that if the Sixers are taking too long to resolve the James Harden issue, maybe Joel Embiid should consider requesting a trade to Saudi Arabia for significant financial gain.
James Harden left behind as Sixers set out on road trip
The Sixers star guard, James Harden, found himself left behind as the team embarked on a road trip, a decision influenced by the team’s desire to get him up to full physical speed. Harden had recently returned to practice after a 10-day absence. He attempted to join the team flight for Thursday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks but was denied entry at the airport by the team’s security, as reported by Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report.
The Sixers’s front office and coach Nick Nurse discussed their preference for Harden to stay in Philadelphia and concentrate on conditioning, citing concerns about his extended absence and a history of hamstring issues. Harden, who had recently returned to practice following a 10-day excused absence, expressed frustration at being denied entry onto the team flight but left the airport without any incident.
However, reports claim that the NBA has opened an investigation to assess James and the Sixers’ situation to see whether the Sixers have violated the NBA’s player participation policy. This development comes against the backdrop of Harden’s calling Daryl Morey a “liar,” which led to his NBA fine of $100,000 More stories will certainly unfold as hours and days pass by as we hope to have both the Sixers and James Harden find a way to end this long issue.
