The James Harden drama continues in Houston after the 2018 NBA MVP missed the team’s first practice this Sunday. Harden is rumored to want a trade out of the Rockets but he’s not expressed any public desire to leave the team. He has been linked with the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets but a move to either team is yet to materialize.
Moreover, it looks like the guard is trying to accelerate things with his actions in recent days. The Beard missed the team’s first practice because he is unable to do so due to COVID-19 protocols. Harden recently attended rapper DaBaby’s birthday party, which made him ineligible to participate in practice this Sunday. He didn’t have any problems with that, apparently, as the Beard had no plans to show up.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIZLZ5HDZ3e
He was, however, expected to take part in an individual workout Sunday night but Harden never showed up. Rockets’ new head coach Stephen Silas talked about this situation, explaining he can’t speak for James and if reporters wanted to know something about the player, they had to go directly to him.
“That’s a question you’re going to have to ask him when he gets here,” Silas replied to reporters when talking about Harden’s commitment to the team.
Stephen Silas: James Harden did not take participate in today's practice. Cannot practice with team due to COVID-19 protocols. The Rockets expect him to be in for an indvidual workout this evening.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) December 6, 2020
John Wall also talked about his new teammate, revealing that he’s talked with Harden and the good relationship they have. Wall had to maneuver to reply to the questions, somehow assuring that Harden wants to remain with the team.
“Ah, yeah, Me and James had a great talk since I’ve been traded here. We’ve been friends way before this. What’s going on right now, it’s because of the testing protocol, and things like that. We’re gonna figure out what’s the best decision when he wants to get here, and be here. We’ve been on the same page since I’ve been traded here.”
New @HoustonRockets @JohnWall on his conversation with @JHarden13 pic.twitter.com/dpy04WHWPJ
— SportsTalk 790 (@SportsTalk790) December 6, 2020
After that, Harden posted an Instagram story with a mysterious message. He posted a big emoji reacting to something. It’s unclear what he was “talking” about; if it was his participation with the team, Silas’ comments, or Wall’s. Some say he was at a strip club even after the league banned players from attending those establishments.
Harden is wilding right now; he’s doing whatever he wants to deal with this situation, making it pretty clear that something is going on between him and the Rockets. Time will tell how this whole thing develops but as things stand right now, James Harden will start the 2020/21 NBA season as part of the Houston Rockets.
