James Harden drew boos from the Philadelphia fans on Wednesday. On Wednesday night, James Harden received a chilly welcome back to Philadelphia.
The Los Angeles Clippers faced the Philadelphia 76ers for the first and only game in South Philly this season, and it was Harden’s only appearance in the Wells Fargo Center this year after calling the arena home for the entire previous season.
Harden wanted a trade after revealing that he had lost trust in Morey after many years of dealing with the executive, dating back to his time as a Houston Rocket.
Is James Harden a traitor for Sixers ?
In October, Harden got his desire and joined the Los Angeles Clippers. At that point, NBA fans had marked their calendars for the Sixers’ two late March games against the Clippers.
Harden faced his former teammates for the first time since leaving over the weekend. Harden had a dismal performance in a Sunday afternoon clash out West, failing to lead his team to victory against Philadelphia.
Months ago, Harden forced his way out of Philadelphia after making it apparent that he would not play for a club led by 76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey. According to James Harden,
“I think I did a lot, man,” “I think I had a positive impact on a lot of people while I was here in that year and a half. I’m grateful for those relationships. I’m grateful for those opportunities I got. There are things that I can cherish and move on with.” “Everything else, it doesn’t matter,”
James Harden was expecting boos
Harden knew what was going to happen on Wednesday. When he was announced as one of LA’s starting five, he was treated the same as any other visiting starter in the building. Then, throughout the game, every time Harden touched the ball, the home crowd booed. While he expected such a reaction, he was confused. He said,
“I expected it,” “I really don’t know what it was about,” he added, “but I expected it. It is what it is.”
Harden considered his run in Philadelphia a personal success. When asked to be a facilitator, the star guard led the league in assists while providing great looks for scoring champion Joel Embiid. Embiid thanked Harden several times last season for helping him win the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award.
As dominant as Harden was in Games 1 and 4 against the Celtics, his final two games in a Sixers uniform left a terrible taste. In Game 6, when the Sixers had a chance to put the Celtics away, Harden went 4-16 from the floor, scoring only 13 points. In Game 7, he made only three of his 11 shots and scored nine points in a blowout loss to end the series.
Overall, Harden had a decent run with the Sixers. Clearly, he did not do enough to avoid the Philadelphia boo-birds.