James Harden and controversy go hand in hand lately. The Beard has been in the news for all the wrong reasons for the better part of this year. Although he showed a ray of hope to the Philadelphia 76ers and the league at large, he has dipped again to his antics. Only 4 days after he bragged about being a thorough professional, Harden is nowhere to be found with a new season coming up.
His off-court antics have garnered him a ton of bad rep as well as criticism from fans, pundits, and veterans alike. However, Harden seems to be completely unbothered by everything being said about him. Recently, his latest antics were unveiled, much to the surprise of the 76ers fans.
James Harden is back on his antics
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There is no denying the importance of Harden as a member of a team. The 34-year-old is one of the finest athletes to ever come out of the league. However, there are several aspects of being an athlete that are not present in Harden’s conduct lately. The 10x NBA All-Star joined the 76ers franchise in 2022 and after just a few months, reports started pouring in that he has issues with the management. Later, he decided to air all his laundry in front of the public. From his stunt in China to missing important team rituals such as preseason media days, Harden has been on top of everything wrong.
Recently, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that despite making a late appearance with his team, Harden is back on his antics. Charania unveiled that Harden has only attended one team training session. Additionally, he has missed all the preseason games with the 76ers till now. This begs the question, why is Harden doing this, even after joining the team after the offseason break? The answer unknown can only come from The Beard himself.
James Harden has not attended any of the 76ers’ preseason games and has participated in just one team practice scrimmage over 14 days of training camp
–@ShamsCharania pic.twitter.com/K1bxhXc0XU
? BASKETBALL ON ? (@BasketballOnX) October 17, 2023
It is clear that Harden is pushing for a trade and the Philly franchise is not willing to cave in to his demands.
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James Harden’s failed promise of professionalism
After the 2018 MVP made his much-awaited return to the 76ers camp, there were several questions floating in the air. When the reporters got a chance to get an answer, Harden was extremely upfront with his response. Moreover, he also said that despite all the drama going on behind the scenes, he is focused on being available for his team. He said, “I come in here today, work my butt off and do the things necessary as a professional”.
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It’s been only four days since that interview and Harden is already MIA.
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