Recently back from injury, Sixers All-Star James Harden took advantage of his absence from the courts to drop a big interview at FOX Sports in which he returns to many subjects. Among them, his controversial departure from Brooklyn a few months ago. Selected pieces.
Today is February 10, 2022, trade deadline day. There are only a few hours left before the closing of the transfer market, and we are all waiting for the Woj / Shams Bomb which sends James Harden to the side of Philadelphia once morest Ben Simmons. Because yes, even if the deadline is made of many surprises each year, this blockbuster is then anticipated from the four corners of the League, the Bearded man no longer wanting to stay in Brooklyn and Simmons being in open conflict with the Sixers.
The fateful moment arrives at 7:16 p.m.
BREAKING: The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers are finalizing trade sending James Harden for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and draft picks, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 10, 2022
It’s official, James Harden is sent to Philly, just 13 months following his transfer from the Rockets to the Nets. 13 months during which there was a rather incredible chain of events, the latter finally pushing the Bearded man to request his transfer to the leaders of Brooklyn.
- The injury of Harden and Kyrie Irving during the 2021 Playoffs
- Uncle Drew who refuses to be vaccinated and who cannot play games at Barclays Center
- Ramesse struggles to get back in shape following his big hamstring glitch
- Differences of opinion with Brooklyn medical staff regarding the treatment of his injury
- The defeats that begin to follow, especially following Kevin Durant’s injury in January 2022
- ….
So many elements that increased the level of frustration at James Harden.
“I don’t want to put anyone down, but there was no structure, and even superstars need structure. It’s what allows us to perform at our best and be the best possible leaders for our franchises. Internally, things weren’t going the way I imagined when I tried to get transferred here.”
– James Harden
“No structure” is a refrain that we have already heard somewhere. During the last Nets Media Day, Durant had a relatively similar speech, pointing to the constant instability around the franchise, the lack of resilience in the face of adversity and the KD-dependence that had set in. Reasons that led Durant to request his own transfer in the summer of 2022, the latter believing that the Brooklyn franchise did not have the ability to build a champion culture.
“I know there are people who will say, ‘you gave up’ and all that, but the next summer, the other superstar there [Kevin Durant, ndlr.] asked to leave. So: am I still a quitter?”
– Harden
Ten months later, it is true that we can have a slightly different perception regarding Harden’s transfer request. In February 2022, the Bearded man was seen by many as this “dropper” who seeks the first way out at the slightest sign of adversity, especially since he remained on a very dirty outing with the Rockets. When you see the mess that preceded and especially followed his departure from Brooklyn, it puts certain things in perspective.
However, Harden also has his share of responsibility in the failure of the Nets’ championship project. Because while his hamstring injury from the 2021 Playoffs represents an unfortunate fact that disrupted his preparation for the following season, Ramesse also did not seem in adequate physical shape to maximize his individual performance, which had the gift to frustrate Kevin Durant if we are to believe FOX Sports.
Harden, who rose to MVP level right following arriving in Brooklyn in January 2021, was a shadow of his former self at the start of the 2021-22 campaign, limiting himself to a playmaker role while KD was scrambling to bring wins to Brooklyn. And the more the frustration rose in the Barbu, the more the latter seemed disinterested in his own performances and those of his team. His last game with the Nets, February 2, 2022 on the Sacramento floor (4 points), will remain as a huge symbol.
In the end, James Harden therefore left for Philadelphia to try to get his first NBA title alongside Joel Embiid. Time will tell if he achieves his ultimate goal or not, but it’s clear his Big Three with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn will go down as one of the biggest What-Ifs in NBA history.
Source texte : FOX Sports