Losing a player the caliber of James Harden is sure to sting any organization, and it would generally lead to the players on the roster re-evaluating the direction that a team is going in. That’s not the case with the Brooklyn Nets though, as a few of their players have spoken out to wish Harden the best and seem excited about what they can achieve with the players they received in return for Harden instead.
Harden was quite vocally unhappy with the way things were going in Brooklyn for a few weeks before the massive trade went through, and reports have suggested that a lot of that had to do with his issues with Kyrie Irving. Naturally, having an unhappy player around isn’t fun for their other teammates either. According to Nets reporter Anthony Puccio, Harden wasn’t very well-liked in the locker room either.
Kinda wild nonetheless because the Nets very rarely — if at all — kicked a guy out the door on his way out under Sean Marks. Not with Harden.
— Anthony Puccio (@APOOCH) February 15, 2022
“Nets players didn’t like James Harden and they’ve made that very, very clear since he was traded.
“Kinda wild nonetheless because the Nets very rarely — if at all — kicked a guy out the door on his way out under Sean Marks. Not with Harden.”
James Harden had given every indication earlier in the season that he would be looking to stay with the Nets much longer than it ended up being, so to view that turnaround up close and personal isn’t likely to have created a very high opinion of him with his teammates. This was compounded by the massive losing streak the Nets went on after Kevin Durant got injured, losing more than 5 games in a row is bound to create tensions in any locker room.
The saga seems to be behind the franchise now though, with Ben Simmons already showing up at practice and looking happier than he has in a long time. The same is true of Harden, who also seems thrilled to be in Philly and to have moved on from the Nets. Many great things were expected when the Beard arrived in Brooklyn, but nothing is ever a guarantee in the NBA, which is part of what makes it so exciting!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcDaBJQY5ho
