According to NBA insider Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Doc Rivers and several Philadelphia 76ers players weren’t happy when James Harden flew separately to Miami to party last season. The Sixers traveled to South Beach to take on the Miami Heat and Harden traveled alone to enjoy the nightlife.
“But Harden didn’t travel with the team to Miami, sources said,” Shelburne wrote. “He traveled separately, with permission from the front office, to enjoy the nightlife. This is not uncommon in the NBA, or for Harden, but it didn’t sit well with Rivers and several players on the team, sources said. Days later, Rivers brought it up in a team meeting, sources said, specifically mentioning several of the players who expressed concerns about Harden’s actions.
“The whole episode was ‘uncomfortable,’ one team source said. Even if they agreed with the substance of Rivers’ message to Harden, and the idea of holding him accountable, it was awkward for the players who were named.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
The Sixers lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2023 NBA playoffs in seven games. Rivers was fired and replaced by Nick Nurse and Harden picked up his 2023-24 player option and requested a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Harden was born and raised in Los Angeles. He has a rapport with Clippers stars Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and is close friends with Russell Westbrook. Harden and Westbrook were teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets.
The Sixers agreed to search out a trade upon Harden’s request after the veteran guard picked up his $35.6 million player option for next season in June. However, Philadelphia’s asking price for Harden was steep and no teams were willing or able to meet it.
The Sixers believe they will be a championship contender with Harden’s return alongside Joel Embiid and the team is determined to find a way to make it work with Harden next season. However, according to NBA insider Joe Vardon of The Athletic, Harden will never play for the Sixers again and has no plans of taking part in training camp if he’s still on the team.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: James Harden, Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers Updates
Harden was fined $100,000 by the NBA for calling Sixers president Daryl Morey “a liar” during his Adidas tour in China. Harden no longer has a relationship with Morey. The 2017-18 NBA MVP called the exec a liar since he wasn’t traded quickly after opting into his 2023-24 player option.
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