“You don’t rehab a hammy by doing stepbacks”: Tracy McGrady believes James Harden faked his hamstring injury to force himself out of Brooklyn

NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady reacts to James Harden’s signing with the Sixers, questioning the authenticity of his injury.

The NBA had a blockbuster trade planned with a couple of hours remaining for the deadline. The deal involved sending James Harden to Philly in exchange for Ben Simmons to Brooklyn. The above trade has changed the dynamics of the season, especially in the east.

In whatever we’ve heard from various sources in the media, both teams are happy with the trade. Both Harden and Simmons had developed issues with the front office and their teammates, with the latter’s case being much worse. Now, both the multiple-time All-Stars find themselves in the best situation.

The recent episode of NBA on TNT had Tracy McGrady fill in for Candance Parker as a special guest panelist. During one such segment of the show, the panelists consisting of Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, and T-Mac addressed Harden’s recent press conference as an official Sixers player.

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McGrady questioned The Beard’s claim of wanting to play with guys that wanted to win. The veteran expressed his doubts over Harden’s hamstring injury.

Tracy McGrady believes James Harden isn’t hurt.

During the 2020-21 season, Harden had pulled all the stocks, forcing himself out of Houston. As a result, the Rockets traded him to the Nets, with Kevin Durant playing a role in his recruitment. The Nets were considered favorites to win a championship, having the best offensive talents on the roster.

However, injuries and COVID protocols forbid the Big 3 of Durant, Irving, and Harden from playing to their potential. Reportedly, Harden was fed-up with Irving’s part-time status as a player and wanted to get a ring on his resume that KD and Irving already had.

While talking about Harden’s recent media interaction, T-Mac said the following.

“I mean when you say, you want to play with guys that want to win, what are you insinuating? the guys in Brooklyn didn’t wanna win?” said McGrady.

The seven-time All-Star added,

“And we all know, Philly was his first choice before he went to Brooklyn. He wasn’t hurt, you’ll think he’s hurt right now? You don’t rehab a hammy by doing stepbacks.”

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Though T-Mac makes a compelling argument, one cannot deny Harden’s legitimacy. The three-time scoring champion’s past record suggests no evidence that he would miss games on purpose.