The James Harden-Philadelphia 76ers drama has taken a new turn after the Sixers star’s recent comments at a press conference. Harden has blamed the 76ers’ front office for all the drama that transpired throughout the summer. The 34-year-old star even revealed that he wanted to retire a 76er when he first stepped foot in Philadelphia.
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Philly fans had lost all hope of seeing James Harden in the Wells Fargo Center night in and night out next season after the 10-time All-Star publicly slammed 76ers’ President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey for being a ‘liar’. Harden had demanded a trade earlier this summer despite exercising his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season.
However, the Sixers front office’s unwillingness to facilitate any trade involving him prompted the former Houston Rockets guard to lash out at the Sixers’ management publicly. After all the noise subsided, many thought that Harden might just swallow his pride and spend the next year in Philly, especially after he was seen balling out in practice recently. However, Harden’s recent comments, two months after he vowed to never play in any organization that employs Morey, have brought the narrative to a new crossroads.
James Harden claims 76ers’ front office didn’t want him to retire in Philly
Philadelphia 76ers reporter Kyle Neubeck posted a clip on X from James Harden’s recent press conference. Harden made some very interesting claims during the session, which mostly shifted all the blame on the Sixers’ management.
Taking a not-so-subtle dig at 76ers’ President Daryl Morey, Harden said, “Just the fans, man-appreciate the support and love, man. This is definitely a difficult time, but for me it’s just trusting people you’ve known for over a decade. When I got traded here, my whole thing was I wanted to retire a Sixer. I wanted to be here and retire a Sixer. And the front office didn’t have that in their future plans.”
“It’s literally out of my control. Some of it I didn’t want to happen, but I gotta make a decision for my family. I understand that this is a business,” he added.
James Harden: “When I got traded here, my whole thing is I wanted to retire a Sixer. I wanted to be here and retire a Sixer. And the front office didn’t have that in their future plans.” pic.twitter.com/YC7NPyoLvK
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) October 13, 2023
Harden has maintained that Morey has gone back on his word regarding contract negotiations. The Sixers executive served as the General Manager of the Houston Rockets till 2020. So the 2018 NBA MVP has known Morey since his Rockets stint, which he alluded to in the press conference. Now we’ll have to wait and see how the 76ers’ front office reacts to these comments.
Harden has been balling out in practice
Newly recruited Philly star Patrick Beverley revealed in his podcast recently that James Harden has been balling out in practice. During a recent episode with Fanatics CEO and former 76ers owner Michael Rubin, Pat Bev said, “He was playing with us in practice. And boy, he was cooking. I am talking about, the pot was out and he was stirring that b***h up. His attitude has been great. He has been leading. He’s giving advice…”
Michael Rubin says on the James Harden situation that, “It wouldn’t have happened” if he was still part-owner of the team. “This thing is breaking my heart”
Via: @PatBevPod
— Kyle Neubeck (@KyleNeubeck) October 11, 2023
Meanwhile, Rubin corroborated Beverley’s sentiments, claiming that nobody wants to win a Championship more than James Harden. The 51-year-old businessman also predicted a stellar season from the Sixers star during the 2023-24 campaign.