PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia 76ers welcomed James Harden back to the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers. The Beard spent 1 1/2 seasons with the Sixers after being acquired at the 2022 deadline from the Brooklyn Nets.
In 79 games for the Sixers across two seasons, Harden averaged 21 points, 10.6 assists and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 37% from deep and 43.1% from the floor. He led the league in assists in the 2022-23 season and did many good things for Philadelphi. He and Joel Embiid were one of the best duos in the league.
“I think I did a lot,” Harden said of his time in Philadelphia after a Clippers win. “I had a very impactful — positive impact on a lot of people. I’m grateful for those relationships. I’m grateful for the opportunity and things like that. Those are things that I can cherish and move on with. Everything else doesn’t matter.”
It was a tumultuous summer, highlights by Harden calling out President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey as a “liar.” The situation was tenuous all offseason. Philadelphia then shipped Harden to the Clippers in October.
“I guess you look at it in a whole in life, and things that you want and feel like should happen, and they don’t happen,” Harden stated. “So it’s like, ‘Alright, cool. What’s next?’ Obviously, people always have a commentary on it, or their side, or an opinion just because they’re outside looking in.”
Harden believed the Sixers hoodwinked him after he made a sacrifice in the 2022 offseason. He wanted to get paid in the 2023 offseason, and it wasn’t happening.
“For me, personally, I feel like I did everything that I needed to do in the sense of the year prior, taking myself off the max (contract) to help the team get better, for this city. You know what I mean?” Harden continued. “For myself, obviously, to win a championship. Things didn’t work out. I wanted to get paid. They weren’t talking. So it is what it is. Then you move on. Everybody’s happy. Life is good.”
Harden received a great many boos in his return on Wednesday. He admitted he was confused by that, but also expected it.
“I expected it,” he stated. “I really don’t know what it’s about, but I expected it. So it is what it is. I don’t even know why they were booing. You can ask them. I don’t know why they were booing.”
When asked if he and Morey would ever patch things up, Harden said: “No. Hell no.”
When asked if he has a relationship with Embiid, Harden also said: “No.”
Asked James Harden if he has kept in touch with Joel Embiid since the trade. Harden kept it simple: “No.” #Sixers pic.twitter.com/LaWedJQszE
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) March 28, 2024
Now both sides can move on. The Sixers face the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road on Friday.
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