“Don’t Expect It to Be Pretty”: Ex-Champ on James Harden’s Philly Return 148 Days After Trade Saga

The Philadelphia 76ers will host the Los Angeles Clippers at the Wells Fargo Center tonight. And the NBA World is excited to see how Philly fans welcome their former star, James Harden. Tonight will be Harden’s first game back in Philadelphia since getting traded last November. While fans await The Beard’s highly-anticipated return to Philly, his teammate PJ Tucker revealed his expectations from the Sixers fans.

Before the Clippers step on the hardwood, Tucker was asked how he expects the Philly crowd to welcome Harden 148 days after his trade saga. The former Champion could not help but laugh at the thought and replied, “I don’t know. I don’t expect it to be too pretty. So, it’ll be interesting.”

Tonight’s game will also be PJ Tucker’s first game back in Philly since the Harden trade. Tucker got traded from the Sixers as part of the James Harden trade package in October. He played for the Sixers the entire 2022-23 season and a few games the following season before getting traded. Although Tucker spent very little time in Philadelphia, he has fond memories of playing for the team. “It was great,” Tucker said when asked about his experience in Philly. PJ claimed he loves the Sixers fans but also knows how ruthless they can be to players who rub them the wrong way.

The relationship between Harden and the Sixers did not end on great terms. Harden publicly called Sixers President Daryl Morey a liar and refused to play under his leadership. After months of off-court antics, Harden finally got his wish by getting traded to the Clippers. So, the former MVP can expect Philly fans to give him a hard time on his return to his former team.

Can James Harden regain bragging rights in Philadelphia?

While James Harden made a lot of enemies during his trade saga, he managed to turn things around after moving to LA. In less than 5 months, Harden has become a crucial part of the Clippers lineup. He is averaging 17.1 points, 8.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds as their starting point guard and has helped them become the 4th seed in the Western Conference. If the former MVP can lead the Clippers to a win over the Sixers on his return to Philadelphia, he will gain the bragging rights on his former team.

However, that will be a tough challenge as the Clippers have lost 4 straight games to the Sixers in their previous meetings. Kawhi Leonard and Co. got humiliated at home by a Joel Embiid-less Sixers last Sunday. It will be even tougher for the Clippers to snap their losing streak tonight as they will play in front of a ruthless Philly crowd.

Read More: James Harden Is Clueless About Clippers’ Rise and Fall Conundrums Since His Trade