James Harden’s tenure in Brooklyn was a complete failure, even though he thrived when playing with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant at the same time. The Beard landed in Barclays Center ready to win that elusive NBA championship, but nothing worked well for him.
After a first season full of injuries, Harden couldn’t find his rhythm alongside Durant and Irving, which led to his exit from the team. Harden landed in Philadelphia to join the 76ers in the blockbuster trade that sent Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets.
Harden hasn’t convinced people that he was the right player to pair up with Joel Embiid, but he’s working hard to return to his best level and help the team compete in a stacked Eastern Conference.
James Harden Takes A Shot At Brooklyn Nets
After all this time, many people still want to know what prompted Harden to force his way out of Brooklyn. During a recent conversation with Yaron Weitzman of Fox Sports, the 2018 NBA MVP opened up on a variety of topics, including his legacy and relationship with Kevin Durant during his time in Brooklyn.
Moreover, Harden explained what things he didn’t like in Brooklyn, which led him to ask for a trade.
First, there was the whole Kyrie Irving vaccination mess. Also, Harden and Durant, according to multiple Nets sources, butted heads during the season – Durant didn’t think Harden was in peak physical shape, and told him as much; Harden, meanwhile, struggled to adjust to an ecosystem where everything was no longer catered to him.
According to a friend, Harden also became frustrated with the Nets training staff and its focus on maintenance, rest and recovery; after all, in Houston he’d run stadium stairs and lift – even after games sometimes – and he never got hurt.
James explains that he had a different vision for the team, but not everybody was on the same page.
“I don’t mean to, like, just down talk to anybody or whatever. It was just, there was no structure and even superstars, they need structure. That’s what allows us to be the best players and leaders for our respective organizations,” Harden said.
“I just feel like,” Harden continued, “internally, things weren’t what I expected when I was trying to get traded there. I think everybody knows that. And I knew people were going to talk and say, ‘You quit’ and all that stuff, but then the following summer, the other superstar there [Durant] wanted to leave. So it’s like: Am I still the quitter?”
The Nets have been involved in many controversies since 2019, and this one was big. Many reports suggested that Harden had a bad relationship with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, but we all know now that it wasn’t the case. Now Harden is trying to win a ‘chip in Philly, but that doesn’t seem easy. He’ll probably have to go through the Nets to achieve that, and fans will be keen to see that matchup in the postseason.
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