James Harden Breaks His Silence For The First Time As A Clipper
James Harden has been in the news cycle for weeks now after wanting to be traded out of Philadelphia. He finally got his wish and was moved to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Today he finally spoke on what went wrong before and why he's excited to be in Los Angeles.Blockbuster Trade Sends Harden West
James Harden was part of the biggest blockbuster of the NBA season so far. Since being traded the coach of his former team the Philadelphia 76ers Nick Nurse had some comments on Harden and how things played out.
I thought the chances were pretty low. It kind of went (up and down) a little bit. Once he opted in, I said, 'Oh, OK, I'm going to get to coach him,' and then stuff happened.
Here is a reminder of the deal that landed Harden in L.A with the Clippers.
The Sixers are acquiring Marcus Morris, Nic Batum, Robert Covington, KJ Martin, multiple draft picks and a pick swap for James Harden, PJ Tucker and Filip Petrusev, sources tell ESPN.
Harden had been looking for a fresh start after things went off the rails with the Sixers. After arriving in Los Angeles he has now given his unfiltered opinion on what went wrong in Philadelphia.
Harden Breaks His Silence
During his introductory press conference, James Harden did not hold back when discussing his time in Philadelphia.
I am not a system player. I am a system.
James Harden ranks among active players:
3rd in points
4th in assists
2nd in threes
4th in triple-doubles
1st in 40-point games
1st in 50-point games
1st in 40-point triple-doubles
1st in 50-point triple-doubles
System.
3rd in points
4th in assists
2nd in threes
4th in triple-doubles
1st in 40-point games
1st in 50-point games
1st in 40-point triple-doubles
1st in 50-point triple-doubles
System.
Harden seemed highly frustrated with his role within the Sixers system. He wanted to be more involved on the offensive end in more ways than he was but felt held back by the organization.
«Philly is just changing my role knowing I can give more, knowing I can do more, but if you want me to be honest, it's like being on a leash... I never really had that opportunity [to score and facilitate freely].»
With Harden going to a team that already has several ball-dominant players one has to wonder if the fit is good in Los Angeles. Harden and the Clippers will get their first opportunity to show the world their new-look team on Monday against the New York Knicks.
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November 2 | 109 answers James Harden Breaks His Silence For The First Time As A Clipper Are the Clippers a better team after acquiring James Harden? | ||
Yes | 43 | 39.4 % |
No | 66 | 60.6 % |
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