Years Before Dropping Daryl Morey Bomb in China, James Harden Kept His Hands Clean from Hong Kong Controversy: “I’m staying out of it”

James Harden has caused a frenzy in the NBA ever since asking out of the Philadelphia 76ers. No amount of convincing from the 76ers helped sway him. He feels cheated after not getting the desired contract as promised by the franchise. Now his China Tour has added fresh fire to an already hot situation. Thousands of miles away from his country, Harden kicked off a controversy when he shared his thoughts about Philly’s President of Basketball Operations.

Harden has been at odds with Daryl Morey before as well. Years ago, when Harden was asked a tricky question about China and Hong Kong situation following Morey’s controversial comments, he had a plain answer that avoided any kind of controversy. 

James Harden steered clear of the China controversy

On October 2019, the then 76ers GM Daryl Morey criticized the way China handled the Hong Kong protests. Meanwhile, the three-point sensation didn’t agree with his GM back then too, and said “We love China“.

However, when he was later asked about the Hong Kong protests in China, he chose a neutral stance.

“I’m staying out of it. I’m focusing on what we have and trying to get better. We’re a week and a half away from the regular season,” the Guard clearly said ahead of the 2019 Regular Season.

Harden’s stance helped avoid further fanning the political flames in either country. However, his earlier comments brought NBA’s still-close relationship with China under further scrutiny.

James Harden and the 76ers have an irreparable relationship

More recently, reports came out that James Harden is disgruntled with the 76ers franchise. During his recent China tour, he made headlines for ripping into Daryl Morey.

During the Adidas-sponsored presser in China, he announced, “Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of”.

These comments indicate the scope of fallout between the organization and the player. This is a unique instance when a player on a foreign tour spoke about the broken promises of a GM.

Despite taking a pay cut to help the 76ers sign PJ Tucker, the Guard didn’t get the Supermax extension he expected.

With the way things are going, it’s clear that his 76ers journey is done. However, his actions can impact the interests of other franchises. As per his former coach Kevin McHale, Harden’s decision to go public started a “wildfire” in the 76ers. He said that James Harden’s method has harmed his 76ers teammates, especially Joel Embiid, with whom he had terrific chemistry. 

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The Guard has made it clear that he wants to play for the Clippers, but will he find enough trust among other teams? The scintillating scorer has asked out of a team or has been dissatisfied with contract-related proceedings multiple times. He had wanted out of the Rockets and Nets, and now the 76ers.

However, his situation in the USA’s league is becoming precarious. Is there a chance he may end up in China someday? For now, it looks unlikely.

Watch This Story: “Can’t Trust Him”: Hours Before James Harden-China Update, Disgruntled Ex-MVP Got a Scathing “Out of the League” Warning