Just before the start of the 2023-2024 season, Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey sat down with JJ Redick on the Old Man and the Three podcast. The two men discussed the upcoming NBA season and, of course, one of their topics of discussion was the James Harden drama unfolding in Philly.
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The Beard made headlines over the off-season for his antics as he tried to force a trade away from Philly. Despite the precarious situation that resulted from it, Maxey has praised Harden for his professionalism amidst the whole $17,600,000 situation, as the team works toward a big season.
However, what was more telling is the fact that the 22-year-old star admitted that this isn’t anything new to him. The sad truth is that the Sixers have had to deal with situations like this for years now.
Tyrese Maxey reveals the sad truth about the 76ers squad while praising James Harden for his professionalism
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey was recently asked about the situation with James Harden in Philadelphia on JJ Redick’s podcast. Quite surprisingly, Maxey had nothing but good things to say about Harden, while also revealing a sad truth.
Maxey, who has been with the Sixers for three years now, claims that this situation is not new to him. Over the course of his career, there have been plenty of similar issues with the team. So much so, that this has become somewhat normal for him and for some of the other mainstays like Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris. As such, they have reached a stage where they have learned to block out the noise and focus on their game. Maxey told Redick:
“It’s sad to say this, but this is normal for me. I’m not even trying to downplay it, but it’s sad that this is like a normal situation for us. Like, I’ve been through this before. The guys that been in rotation, like Joel [Embiid], Tobias [Harris], Danny Green, myself…we’ve been through this situation! So, it’s like telling the young guys, ‘Look we’re here to practice, this is our job, we’re here to focus!’ And, Nick Nurse and his staff make it easy as well. They’ve made it fun, they’ve made it competitive…guys aren’t really focused on that situation. And, like I said, James [Harden] has been a real professional about the situation, so it’s been great man!”
Tyrese Maxey says the James Harden situation is normal for him
“It’s sad to say this, but this is normal for me. I’ve been through this before.”
(Via @OldManAndThree ) pic.twitter.com/53PgNUMTuk
— BASKETBALL ON (@BasketballOnX) October 13, 2023
With regards to The Beard, Maxey only had nice things to say. He commended Harden for his professionalism and how he showed up to camp and balled out despite all that was happening around him. As things stand, everything seems to be somewhat close to normal in the Sixers camp. However, it will be interesting to see how things unfold as the season progresses.
Doc Rivers has advised Harden to look beyond his $17,600,000 situation and ball out
While he may have shown up to practice, James Harden’s plans for his future haven’t changed. He still wants out of the 76ers, who have already paid him $18,000,000 from his contract, leaving $17,600,000 on the table. Despite this, it seems as though Harden’s heart is still set on joining the Los Angeles Clippers.
That being said, Harden’s former head coach Doc Rivers has some pearls of wisdom for him. He believes Harden should block out all the noise and just focus on playing. If he does so, everything should work out in his favor once all is said and done.
At the end of the day, the 2023-2024 season will be an interesting one for both Harden and the 76ers. Hopefully, things work out for both parties, and they can focus on the season without any unnecessary distractions.
