Things just got real in Philly.
The situation between James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers went from a friendly parting of ways to a straight up burning of bridges. It’s like that Drake song — “0 to 100 real quick”! That’s exactly what happened here.
At a recent Adidas press event in China, Harden completely blasted the Sixers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey, labeling him a “liar” and saying that he will “never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
At one point during the event, Harden was asked by someone in the crowd, “What do you think about the current team claiming to end trade talks and trying to bring you back to the team?”
And well … James Harden got so blunt that Patrick Mahomes’ daddy is trying to smoke this Philly too.
“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” said Harden. “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.”
WATCH:
James Harden: “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.” pic.twitter.com/AmHJ0WwbF2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2023
Point blank, period … James Harden got screwed over.
If you’re not aware, Harden and the Sixers came up with an agreement to work on a trade to send “The Beard” to a new team while Philadelphia would profit in the process (which resulted in Harden opting into his contract). However, the 76ers reportedly backed off that agreement days prior to Harden’s recent comments. Harden is letting everyone know that he feels screwed because he was.
At the same time, though, this is the nature of the NBA (and business, period), and Harden doesn’t necessarily have the best resume himself when it comes to loyalty. We saw how he was with both the Houston Rockets and most recently the Brooklyn Nets.
I can see both sides here, so I’m staying neutral. (RELATED: Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray Outright Clowned Over Wearing ‘Sports Bra’ At Training Camp)
And with that being the case, I’m just gonna grab my popcorn for this one.