James Harden has been subjected to plenty of criticism over the last few years for his failures in the postseason. Harden is undoubtedly one of the greatest players of this generation and is one of the greatest scorers we have ever seen, but the dip in his play come playoffs has led to him becoming one of the more disrespected players among the fans.
This past postseason was much of the same as Harden failed to deliver in the playoffs, which led to the Sixers getting eliminated in the Conference Semifinals. With all the criticism that has come his way, Harden has been hard at work this offseason, but with training camp starting soon, he took some time to relax by heading to Lincoln Financial Field to watch the Philadelphia Eagles take on the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL.
Philadelphia Eagles CB Darius Slay Explains Why He Gave The Ball To James Harden
The Eagles dominated the game as they won 24-7, and during the third quarter, cornerback Darius Slay managed to get an interception, and he went over to the stands to give the ball to Harden.
Darius Slay picks it off and gives ball to James Harden 😎 (via @NFL) pic.twitter.com/J4ZC7hLQOY
— Overtime (@overtime) September 20, 2022
It was a great play, and it helped the Eagles keep the Vikings at bay. It was a fine souvenir for Harden, and Slay later talked about why he wanted to give the ball to the Sixers superstar.
Much respect.@JHarden13 | @bigplay24slay #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/1jk6mUapzG
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) September 20, 2022
“Honestly, I didn’t even know he was there at the game until they put him on the jumbotron. He’s one of my favorite players. Shoot. I’m like, ‘Why not?’ I get a chance to meet James Harden, a Hall of Fame basketball player. If I make a play tonight, definitely a pick, I gotta give him the ball because he’s well respected in the league. One of my favorites, like I said. So, I was like, ‘It’s a good opportunity.’”
That is great to see a fellow athlete give Harden that kind of respect, and James even got the ball signed by Slay. The Eagles have now started off the season 2-0, and Philadelphia sports fans will be hoping that the Sixers also get off to a hot start when their season commences next month.
Expectations are certainly high, as they have been in recent years, and Kendrick Perkins recently stated that Joel Embiid is the heavy favorite for MVP next season. The Sixers have always ended up coming short when it matters most but armed with probably their best roster of the Embiid era, this might finally be their time to shine.
