James Harden made his desire to be traded from the Sixers and head on out to the Clippers very vocal, and his dream finally came true as he was recently moved to the Clippers. We know this narrative all so well, because this, in fact, was not the first time he forced his way out of a team. In 2021, he made a very dramatic exit from Houston, so seeing it happen all over again is no shocker.
It is very rare that a player’s trade demands are met in the league because there are so many parties that have to be considered as well. But Harden makes it look so easy to get what he wants. Former NBA player and the Celtics legend Kevin Garnett upon observing this, compares Harden to Michale Jordan for wiggling out of teams.
The Wiggle Lawyers: Jordan and Harden
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Garnett points out Harden’s success in getting the trade he wanted, which does not happen quite usually in the league. In fact, due to his notorious history of forcing himself out of teams, Garnett remarks that “If James Harden does not go down for anything else in life, he should go down as the Goat of the Wiggle.” Most of the time, players make trade requests, but these are usually turned down. However, Harden has pulled this stunt quite a few times, and so Garnett says, “Michael Jordan is James Harden’s agent“. Likening
Michael Jordan had a lot of league influence because of the mighty career that he built over the years, and Garnett even likens him to Moses, who could part seas just by giving a command. So using this power, Jordan became the face of player empowerment, and no player moved as he did in the league. The empowerment aspect was utilizing his unrestricted freedom to make his own decisions, instead of being constrained by an antiquated sense of allegiance to the team that drafted him.
Knowing the amount of power that Jordan had, he abused this privilege. So, Garnett says that if anyone is looking for a “Wiggle Lawyer“, they should probably get in touch with either Jordan or Harden, as they are seasoned players of this ‘game’.
Harden’s first interaction with media as a Clipper
James Harden, having finally landed in the Clippers, has not yet played his debut game, but that dream isn’t so far now, as Harden seems pumped up and ready to hit the hardwood with the Clippers. In his first interview ever since joining the Clippers, Harden says he is looking forward to building good chemistry.
He doesn’t hesitate to say that in the Sixers, he did not have much freedom and he was playing “on a leash,” and says that moving forward, he hopes that the coaching staff will believe in him and that he can have fruitful and efficient conversations with them as far as performance and planning goes.
What are your expectations from Harden in the Clippers? Let us know in the comments below.
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