In his second season with the Sixers, James Harden seems to have found himself in a happy place. Coming off a tendon strain in his foot, The Beard hopes to take the Philly team, who are currently the 5th seed, to the Promise Land, having a healthy Joel Embiid by his side.
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It won’t be wrong to say that there has been a somewhat decline in Harden’s performances post his forceful exit from Houston in 2021. Many believe a nagging hamstring injury, coupled with poor fitness levels, was the cause of the 6ft 5″ guard’s prime ending sooner.
Though Harden has achieved almost every individual accolade on the grand stage, the absence of a championship continues to haunt the former MVP. The 33-year-old did everything possible in the realm of schemes, whether it even meant joining super teams and becoming an overnight villain.
The last couple of years witnessed Harden move from one ship to another, forcing trades. With some fans still bitter over his Houston exit, the former Rockets superstar would shock everyone when he decided to leave a superteam like the Nets and head to Philadephia. However, by the looks of it, The Beard seems to be having the last laugh in the case of the Brooklyn team.
James Harden throws indirect shade at former Nets teammate Kevin Durant.
Touted as the greatest offensive team to ever assemble in American sports history, the Nets were a juggernaut post Harden’s arrival in January 2021. Joining forces with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Brooklyn team boasted a never before seen lineup.
Unfortunately, this turned out to be a failed experiment, given the host of controversies and injuries on the roster, the worst being Irving’s anti-vaccination episode, prompting Harden to ask out, given his limited window to win a championship, something that would earn him a lot of flak.
In hindsight, Harden was wise enough to pivot at the right time, evidence being Durant wanting out during the recent summer. Commenting on the same, The Beard had the following to say.
“I knew people were going to talk and say, ‘You quit’ and all that stuff, but then the following summer, the other superstar there wanted to leave. So it’s like: Am I still the quitter?” 👀👀👀
– James Harden on Brooklyn
(Via @FOXSports ) pic.twitter.com/rUMenmBmnA
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) December 16, 2022
While Harden didn’t name KD, his hints were pretty evident. Nonetheless, after a lot of negotiations and discussions, Durant decided to keep put with the Nets. The $200 million net-worth star has 4-years left on his contract with Joe Tsai as he looks to make a run for his 3rd ring.
What’s ahead for James Harden?
It won’t be wrong to say that Harden has all the requirements to win the chip this season. The three-time scoring champion needs to be more consistent and not depend on Embiid to be the sole initiator on the offense.
With Tyrese Maxey expected to return later this season, the Sixers have a strong chance to lay their hands on the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Thus this is the perfect opportunity for Harden to silence all those questioning the absence of a championship on his resume.
