“Started Off as a Pawn”: Soon After Adam Silver Slammed $100K News, “King” James Harden Seems to Throw Shade at Daryl Morey

Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden has had a controversial offseason so far. After the disappointing end to the 2023 playoffs, Harden hinted at his wish to exit the side. However, the 10x NBA All-Star couldn’t land a deal yet. Additionally, he also made a public comment, defaming Sixers President of Basketball Operation, Daryl Morey. Subsequently, the league also slapped a hefty $100K fine on the star. Despite all this downside, the star seemed unfazed. Moreover, days after the incident, the star shared a cryptic message to the NBA world on his birthday eve.

Harden turned 34-years-old on Saturday and he dropped a special Instagram post to celebrate the day with fans. Even though the pictures looked usual snaps, the caption of the post seemed to have directed at Morey. The Beard slammed Morey during a press interaction in China and said he wouldn’t be part of any team that has Morey in it. While Harden is far from a new trade, the cryptic social media caption has created waves in the hoops community.

James Harden sends a cryptic message

On his birthday, James Harden shared three pictures of him on IG. The pictures featured Harden sporting a full black outfit with a bucket cap. Along with the pictures, the post also carried an intriguing caption. The caption read, “cold story of a king I started off as a pawn #UnoDay.” While there isn’t any clarity on the message, but fans in the comments suggest that it is the outburst of the $100k fine. One user said, “Come back to Philly.”

UNO is a popular nickname of Harden which stands for Under No One, as per The Sports Grail. Notably, this could be the sign that he directed the message toward Daryl Morey.

Read More: After Bagging $300K in China Within Seconds, Generous James Harden Returns to Houston for Noble Reasons

Interestingly, Morey hasn’t made any official reply to Harden’s comments on him.

Why did Harden call Morey a ‘liar’?

During a promotional event in China, Harden called Morey a liar. When the reporters asked Harden about the ongoing trade fiasco, he said, “Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

Following this, NBA commissioner Adam Silver slapped a hefty fine on him. However, Harden’s statement was enough for the fans to speculate various angles. Some fans said that Morey promised to trade him to Los Angeles Clippers and failed to fulfill it.

Watch This Story: Seeking to Resurrect $210,112,000 Dream, James Harden Slammed for “A Horrific Mistake” as Stephen A. Bears Witness: “With Your Life on the Line…”

What do you make of Harden’s cryptic message in the IG caption? Let us know in the comments below.