Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant had disagreements with Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden during his time with the Nets, according to an piece done by Fox Sports’ Yaron Weitzman. Harden’s physical condition was one of the things that caused Durant to have issues with the partnership.
Even though the Nets’ offense was one of the best in the league when Durant, Harden, and Kyrie Irving were on the floor at the same time, that three-man group did not happen as much as expected partly because of Harden’s struggle with his hamstrings. Despite being one of the more well-conditioned athletes in the NBA, Harden had issues putting the hamstring pulls behind him for good.
During the 2020-2021 season after being traded to Brooklyn, Harden missed significant time in the regular-season and in the playoffs with his recurring hamstring injury and it appeared to frustrate those on the Nets, including Durant. Weitzman explained what led up to Harden and Durant butting heads:
“Harden and Durant, according to multiple Nets sources, butted heads during the season – Durant didn’t think Harden was in peak physical shape, and told him as much; Harden, meanwhile, struggled to adjust to an ecosystem where everything was no longer catered to him.
According to a friend, Harden also became frustrated with the Nets training staff and its focus on maintenance, rest and recovery; after all, in Houston he’d run stadium stairs and lift – even after games sometimes – and he never got hurt.
‘Once it got to a certain point, James was just over all of it,’ a Nets staffer said.”
The Nets next game is Sunday against the Detroit Pistons.
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