The Los Angeles Clippers were hosted by the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The contest marked the first time that James Harden made his return to Philly since being traded in the middle of the 2023-2024 season. While Harden had a respectable 16-point, 14-assist double-double, per NBA.com, it was his interaction with the reporters regarding his relationship with Daryl Morey that got the most traction on social media.
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Following the game, one of the reporters interviewing James Harden looked to ask if The Beard was interested in mending his relationship with Daryl Morey – the General Manager of the Philadelphia 76ers. However, before the interviewer could finish asking his question, the 2018 Most Valuable Player shut down the possibility of it ever happening. Take a look at the interaction between the two below:
Reporter: “Do you think that someday, you and Daryl will patch…”
James Harden: “No.”
The emotionless response indicates that the southpaw has no intentions of being in Morey’s good graces.
Daryl Morey and James Harden have known each other since 2012, when the latter was acquired by the Houston Rockets. In 2022, Morey, who was the GM of the Sixers by then, also played a huge role in convincing Harden to join the Pennsylvania side.
However, in the summer of 2023, James Harden went rogue, not holding back upon his true thoughts on Morey. During his China tour, the combo guard accused the Sixers’ president of being a liar.
“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said, per Yahoo! Sports.
It was certainly a hostile environment as Harden was welcomed with almost 21,000 people booing him. However, he was the one with the final laugh, helping the LA side secure a win.
