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‘James Harden leaving Rockets because of Donald Trump connection’: Tilman Fertitta’s off court relationship forcing Harden out

Amulya Shekhar
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James Harden leaving Rockets because of Donald Trump connection

James Harden is rumored to be wanting out of the Houston Rockets mainly because of Tilman Fertitta’s ties to President Donald Trump.

While NBA owners came together to take a strong initiative against racially motivated police brutality in August, a few of them are Trump supporters. The NBA almost exclusively comprises of Democratic party sympathizers.

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Longtime NBA reporter Ric Bucher went on “The Odd Couple” podcast with Chris Broussard and Rob Parker to speak about the problems in Houston. According to Bucher, there is a “revolt” going on, and it’s directly related to Fertitta supporting President Trump.

How Tilman Fertitta’s relationship with Donald Trump affects the Harden situation

According to Bucher, the fact that the NBA players are backing social justice causes makes them distant to Trump supporters. Fertitta has been a longtime Republican donor and is reportedly close to Donald Trump.

“But what I heard is — and we know how much politics and political position had to do with the boycott and protests during the (NBA) bubble. I’m hearing that Tilman Fertitta’s strong Republican support and donations is one of the things that is contributing to this dissatisfaction.”

“Those two [Westbrook and Harden] are not the only ones to want out of Houston. Lesser players are of the same mind. There is a revolt here because they look at Fertitta as a guy who supports the current president.”

Also Read: ‘Kyrie Irving will be hating James Harden in one game’: Skip Bayless goes off on Rockets star wanting to join Nets

Whether or not Fertitta’s support for Trump is a factor in Harden’s desire to move away from the Rockets, one thing is clear. It is that The Beard seems to think the Rockets have run their course and have little to no chance of dislodging the Western Conference powers that be.

The Rockets’ closest taste to an NBA championship came over 2 seasons ago when they made it to the Western Conference Finals. Harden is now parting ways with the franchise to seek his fortune elsewhere

About the author

Amulya Shekhar

Amulya Shekhar

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Amulya Shekhar is a sports junkie who thrives on the thrills and frills of live sports action across basketball, football (the American variant works too), parkour, adventure sports. He believes sports connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more holistically.

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