In his introductory press conference on Tuesday, 10x All-Star James Harden spoke excitedly about the move to his new team.
He even gave a shoutout to the fans, who he called “the best in the NBA.”
“These fans are the best fans in the NBA. A lot of teams say that… but ride or die, these are probably the best fans in the NBA. I’m excited they’re on my side. After the break, man, it’s go time. As much as I can figure out things fast – it won’t be long – the better things will be. It shouldn’t take long.”
James Harden on @sixers fans:
"These fans are the best fans in the NBA. A lot of teams say that… but ride or die, these are probably the best fans in the NBA. I'm excited they're on my side."
— Lauren Rosen (@LaurenMRosen) February 15, 2022
As a 25 point per game career scorer, Harden’s scoring ability is unquestioned and his arrival puts the Sixers in a position to compete for a title this season.
Beyond that, it remains to be seen if Harden will stick around long-term. He failed to opt-in to the final year of his contract, setting himself up to be an unrestricted free agent in the summer.
The good news for the Sixers is that Harden claims it’s where he wanted to be from the beginning.
“Originally, when I was going through everything that I was going through in Houston, Philly was my first choice. It just didn’t happen,” Harden said. “I really don’t want to get into the Brooklyn situation. I just knew for a very long time this was the perfect fit. Obviously, you have the best big man in the league in Joel. And obviously the coaching… I’m just happy and blessed that I’m here, as Doc and everybody knows, and everybody wants to win, to be the last team standing, so I’m excited for that opportunity.”
In the aftermath of the Ben Simmons saga, the 76ers have faired pretty well. They flipped a troubled and disgruntled star into one of the best scorers in the league.
Together, he and Embiid will lift Philly to new heights in the East, and the loyal Sixers fans, who have stuck with the team through the worst of times, will be there to cheer them on every step of the way.
