James Harden was traded to the Clippers in the initial changes of the season, debuting in his Clippers game vs Orlando on the 31st of October. The journey ever since has been challenging, especially integrating with the already established star players in the game like Kawhi Leonard, Russell Westbrook, and Paul George. Building team chemistry has been a tough road for the recruit.
If we retrace a little, Harden’s separation from the Sixers was not a quiet one. It was laced with drama, tantrums, and everything in between. It all started with ‘The Beard’ Harden demanding a trade from the Sixers, going as far as calling the team’s President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey a liar. At this point, it was assumed that the relationship between the two had gone sour. With new details emerging to light, we now take a look at the events that led to the trade, from the big man Harden himself.
It was all business for Morey
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According to the former MVP, Darly and he always had a good relationship. However, Harden began noticing that compared to the past when the focus would be entirely on trying to work on improving the team after lucking out in the playoffs, there was no communication regarding the same this year. He arrived at a point where he realized, “And at that point, it’s like, ‘OK, I see what’s going on.’”
He took this as a sign that things had changed. Harden continues, “I’m very intelligent. So then I just figure out ‘What’s my next move, and what do I want to do?’ So I understand that, at the end of the day, this is a business.” For Harden, that was it; it dawned on him that he needed to take it by the reign and do what was best for him and his family, just as Daryl was looking out for his organization.
For Harden, it was all about winning a Championship
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Well, we can only hope that Harden is much happier with the Clippers, as he looks forward to winning his maiden Championship with the new team. Over the past year, Harden admits that he had sacrificed enough time, effort, and money.
For him, this new venture was about winning that title while having the opportunity to make the big bucks. Harden has played 14 of the 19 games the Clippers have played so far in the season and currently boasts averages of 15.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6.4 assists.
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Do you think the star-studded Clippers are on the road to bringing home their first-ever Championship, especially now that they have James Harden on board? Share your thoughts!