James Harden CALLS OUT 76ers Daryl Morey 🗣️ | SC with SVP
Aug 15, 2023
SportsCenter's Scott Van Pelt explains James Harden's recent outburst against 76ers President Daryl Morey calling him a "liar." SVP breaks down Harden's recent stats and mindset.
76ers guard James Harden makes news.
League's assist leader last season in China
for an Adidas event.
Couple of days after the Sixers said
they were ending trade talks surrounding the former MVP,
the disgruntled star made his feelings
for Philadelphia's president, Darryl Morey, known,
and he did not hold back about the man
who really has been his most vocal advocate.
Well, Harden and Maury do have that longstanding relationship.
From back to when Harden was 23 years old,
he was snatched away from the Thunder.
He bloomed into a potential and then perennial MVP candidate.
Maury would acquire Harden a second time in 2022
with the Sixers trading Ben Simmons for Harden,
among others.
Adrian Wojnowski, more on how we got to this very contentious
place.
This has been with James Harden percolating
throughout the summer back when he opted in,
when he exercised that option, his player
option for this season, and took himself out of free agency.
Philadelphia has not found any team out there
that can give them the value that in their minds
keeps them a championship contender.
And now for James Harden, by putting more pressure
on the Philadelphia organization,
knowing that this is an organization with the burden
of having to help Joel Embiid get closer to a championship,
they have to be faced with the possibility
that Joel Embiid might ask to be elsewhere.
And I think for James Harden, he wants
to send the message to Philadelphia
that if he is back, it is not going
to be an environment conducive to supporting Joel Embiid
to winning a title in Philly.
I think both sides have leverage to exert on each other.
What are we to do here?
On the one hand, this is a former MVP
who is still talented.
But Harden looks in the mirror, and he still
sees a superstar who should get whatever he wants.
And in the NBA, superstars generally do.
He has.
Twice.
When Harden decided he was done in Houston, well, he pouted,
and he got his way.
Then he decided he was done in Brooklyn, same deal.
The now nearly 34-year-old, for a third time,
wants to go elsewhere, which requires someone
to want him enough to give what Philly deems to be enough.
Now, when he does what he does in games one and four
of the series they had in the playoffs in Boston last year,
where he combined to score 87 points,
well, that price would justifiably be high.
But Harden was also responsible for the 22 points on seven
for 27 shooting and one of 11 from three in the game six
and game seven losses, which are his to own as well.
The glaring disappearances in massive spots in the playoffs,
that's on Harden.
And who's lining up to give away a pile for that,
knowing that if it gets sideways, which it inevitably
seems to do, he'll just be able to get
the ball back to the plate.