James Harden Throws 76ers Under the Bus While Discussing His Play Last Season: ‘Like Being on a Leash’

Ahmad Austin Jr.Nov 3rd, 2023, 2:02 pm
 

After finally being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the team of his choosing, Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden wasted no time blaming his old team for why it didn’t work out.

Harden was traded to the Clippers early Tuesday morning in exchange for a sizable haul of role players and draft picks. The deal put an end to what’s been a tumultuous few months for the star and the Sixers, which saw Harden even go as far as publicly calling out the team president and vowing to never play for him again.

As he awaited a trade — preferably to the Los Angeles Clippers — Harden was often a no-show at team practices and games. He’s set to make his season debut when the Clippers take on the New York Knicks on Monday.

On Thursday, Harden participated in his introductory press conference with his fourth team in as many seasons. When asked about his tenure in Philadelphia, he claimed he was on a “leash” and the team prevented him from being the best version of himself.

“(With) Philly it’s just changing my role, knowing I can give more, knowing I can do more,” Harden said, “but, if I’m gonna be honest, like being on a leash; and me knowing in order for us to get where we wanna get to, I was gonna have to be playing my best offensively, whether it’s facilitating and scoring the basketball, and Joel (Embiid) as well. And I never really had that opportunity.

Harden stated plainly that he wasn’t a “system player” — a term used to describe players brought in for the sole purpose of filling a specific role — and also said, “I am a system.”

In response to those comments, Embiid argued that Harden was free to do what he wanted on the court. Still, he wished the star well with his new team and expressed appreciation for their time together.

Watch above via Twitter.

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