James Harden Opens Up About Facing the Philadelphia 76ers

James Harden was traded to the LA Clippers last fall, and this week, he played his first game in Philadelphia since the switch. So, what was it like being back in Philly? James Harden opens up about facing the Philadelphia 76ers in some post-game comments. James Harden Opens Up About the Booing When Harden entered the court, he was booed by 76ers fans at the game. This wasn't a big surprise. Harden knew it would be a tough crowd. "I expected it," Harden said in a post-game press conference. "I don’t really know what it's about, but I expected it. So, it is what it is. I don't know why they were booing." Aside from the boos, Harden also saw a lot of fans at the game. Seeing those friendly faces reminded him of the impact he had as a player when he was with the 76ers. "I think I did a lot. I also had a very impactful, positive impact on a lot of people while I was here, a year and a half," he said. "I'm grateful for those relationships. I'm grateful for the opportunity and things like that. Those things that I can cherish and move on with. Everything else doesn't matter." The Clippers squeaked out a win against the 76ers on Wednesday, 108-107. Harden Not Interested in Mending His Relationship with 76ers' Daryl Morey After the game, Harden was also asked if he has kept in touch with 76ers gem and recent NBA MVP Joel Embiid since heading to the Clippers. His answer was simply, "No." Then, when asked if he could eventually make good with 76ers president Daryl Morey, he had a harsher response: "Hell no." Harden asked for a trade from the 76ers in June 2023 and wanted to go to the Clippers. He grew upset that Morey took his time moving the player. While the trade finally happened, it wasn't until after the start of the regular season, which wasn't what Harden expected. Harden publicly called Morey a "liar" and said he's "never" going to be part of an organization with him again. It sounds like those feelings are still fresh and run deep. Harden is currently averaging 17.1 points, 8.6 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game. He's shooting 43.9/39.5/88.1 for the Clippers. The Philadelphia 76ers' next game is Friday (March 29) at 7:30 p.m. on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The LA Clippers' next game is Friday (March 29) at 7 p.m. in Florida against the Orlando Magic. [select-listicle listicle_id="279038" syndication_name="5-nba-teams-to-watch-right-now" description="no"]