• James Harden has refuted a recent report claiming he refused to respond to an invitation to be an All-Star replacement in 2023
• He made an Instagram story threatening to start reporting information himself
• Ramona Shelbourne had made the initial All-Star report for ESPN
James Harden was notably left off the 2023 All-Star list despite having a solid season at that point, leading the league in assists on one of the best teams in the East. Despite this, he wasn’t even named as an All-Star replacement after not making the initial list.
Ramona Shelbourne reported that the NBA offered Harden a replacement spot but he refused to answer, which led to Adam Silver pulling the invitation. Harden has refuted these claims on Instagram.
“Y’all gotta chill with these reports. Imma start reporting sh*t.”
James Harden responds to today’s report about him 👀🤔
(via his IG story)#BrotherlyLove #Sixers 🔵🔴 pic.twitter.com/hjuDKDBmLr
— RB (@RBPhillyTake) September 6, 2023
Harden has been center stage in NBA chatter all summer. From his initial trade request to calling Daryl Morey a liar in China, Harden has been in the media spotlight all offseason long. Unfortunately for him, he’s still wearing a 76ers jersey as we come closer to training camp later this month.
What Did Ramona Shelbourne Report?
Shelbourne dropped an extensive story on ESPN discussing various aspects of Harden’s time on the 76ers and the tense offseason that has ensued. While talking about Harden’s disappointment at not being named an All-Star while former teammates Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant were All-Star starters, Shelbourne revealed what happened.
“NBA commissioner Adam Silver was prepared to name him as an injury replacement, sources said. Harden just had to give assurances that he would show up and play in the game. Days went by without Harden’s answer. He was pouting. By the time Harden sent word that he would accept the invitation, Silver had moved on, naming Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam as the replacement for an injured Durant.”
With Harden disputing this version of events, it’s fascinating to think about what actually happened. Did Harden not even get a replacement offer?
Given Jalen Brunson also ended up not getting called up, it’s highly likely that the NBA favored a frontcourt replacement for Durant and named Siakam instead of evaluating Harden or Brunson.
James Harden Is Caught In A Messy Situation
There are no conceivable paths anymore that would give James Harden the happy ending to the summer he wants. The Clippers likely won’t give up nearly enough to satisfy what Daryl Morey wants, especially after Harden’s open shots at him.
It’s likelier that Harden is sent to a team he didn’t initially plan to go to midway through the season. He’ll have no choice but to play out the season to earn a high-value contract in the following offseason, maybe even an extension with whatever team he ends up on. Kyrie Irving’s situation with the Nets and Mavericks is a blueprint of what Harden may have to go through.
Holding onto him and not trading him for anything would be extremely silly by Morey. Taking a powder keg into a season that may decide Joel Embiid’s future with the franchise could be a horrible idea. But Embiid will most definitely want out if the team replaces his league assist-leader point guard with Marcus Morris Sr., Terance Mann, and a future pick.
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