Much has been made of James Harden’s recent controversy at the Philadelphia 76ers. One of his staunchest detractors in recent months, Stephen A. Smith, had suggested that Harden could have a negative impact on the locker room due to the drama surrounding him off the court. However, speaking on the Old Man and the Three podcast, 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey had his say on Harden’s attitude in training.
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Speaking about Harden’s desire to work hard, Maxey revealed that he had also shown an increased willingness to talk to the younger guys. Claiming that he did not expect the kind of positive attitude that Harden showed, Maxey said that instead of making things weird, Harden simply came in and appeared focused on his job. The clip was part of the podcast’s latest episode which was released in 2 parts on October 12th and 13th.
James Harden receives praise from 76ers’ Tyrese Maxey
Harden may have worked overtime in order to look for a move away from the 76ers. However, despite that not working out, he has appeared continuously focused despite the drama surrounding him off the court.
Instead of letting things go out of hand further, James Harden has been working hard in training. Maxey revealed that he was very receptive, and talked to youngsters that he did not even previously know:
“First of all, I wanna make a shoutout to JH, because he didn’t make it weird at all. He came in, and it was not what I was expecting. He was very receptive. He worked hard, he did all the drills, he was talking to even the young guys he didn’t know. Think about it, James Harden with MVP, scoring leader, 2-time assist-champion, he is sitting there talking to guys like Ricky Council, hey, it was not what I was picturing.”
Needless to say, while Stephen A. Smith believes Harden might be more trouble than an asset for most franchises, his conduct has been close to perfect. Not only has Harden looked determined to return to his best, but has also shown an increased willingness to help his teammates and the young players around him.
James Harden appears determined to prove Stephen A. Smith wrong
Smith had suggested that the 34-year-old requires structure around him to succeed. However, if recent reports are to be believed, Harden’s conduct has continuously suggested that he is not quite done just yet.
Smith had claimed that the way he handled the situation was not ideal, and had even called Harden a “petulant child.” The trade that Harden wanted would have been the third big-money trade that he forced in a matter of years, since moving leaving the Houston Rockets.
Smith had also later suggested that Harden’s failed move to the Rockets was linked to his claims that he wanted to return as the NBA’s scoring champion. That, in addition to the kind of work that he has been putting in, suggests that James Harden is not quite ready to stop just yet.
