As a teammate of Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala enjoyed a lot of success in the league. This includes four championships and a Finals MVP. He was a part of the NBA for 19 years. In that time, he has seen many controversies unfold and recently had something to say about the latest one. Appearing as a guest on ‘Gil’s Arena’, the former Warriors man talked about James Harden‘s ‘$389,000 per game statement’, along with his overarching controversy with Daryl Morey.
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With the latest controversy in the Philadelphia 76ers organization, James Harden has publicly called out Daryl Morey for being a ‘liar’. The trade request made by James Harden in July could not be completed, and Harden was asked to return to the Sixers training camp. However, the point guard has no intention of ‘playing for a team managed by Morey’. This decision could end up costing him $389,000 per game.
Iguodala talks about James Harden’s comments in China
James Harden was recently in China for a promotional event and ended up putting the NBA world in a frenzy. In an event, he publicly called Daryl Morey a liar and decided to not play for him. The statement made headlines across all sports media houses, with everyone expressing their views on the matter. Iguodala also voiced his opinion as a guest on Gil’s Arena. Here is what he said:
“Daryl Morey has a history with China, where he can say something and the backlash from what he says may not be any because there is a history with Morey and China. So it was a great move out of leverage by James. It is going to be hard to discipline James because what did he wrong. And James is going to sell some shoes.”
According to Iguodala, James did well to voice his concerns in China as it was unlikely to lead to a cross-examination, unlike the United States. Also, James is on a tour to sell merchandise through his brand value in China and is also beloved there from his days with the Houston Rockets.
Meanwhile, in 2019, Daryl Morey faced quite a bit of backlash from China after his comments on Hong Kong. The Sixers General Manager supported the people protesting for the freedom of Hong Kong. With history behind Hong Kong and the Chinese government, the comments were never likely to be taken well.
James Harden’s statements could result in massive fines for the Sixers
If the statements made by James Harden are indeed true, the Philadelphia 76ers organization could be looking at hefty fines from the league. With James taking a pay cut of 15 million dollars during the 2022-23 season, there are speculations about a backdoor deal that might have happened between the two parties.
According to NBA analyst Frank Michael Smith, Morey promised Harden a mega contract in the 2023 season if he took a pay cut in the 2022 season. If this is true, the league will not look kindly into the violation. They would want to set a precedent to not promote such dealings in the future.
