“His number was retired at strip clubs in Houston” - NBA analyst jokes about James Harden’s lifestyle, says his dominance will be less important for Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers superstar James Harden had a tough start to life with his new franchise last season. Though there was an uptick in his form when he signed with the team, his performances took a dip as the season progressed and he hit a really bad patch in the postseason.
On ESPN's morning show Get Up, NBA analyst Brian Windhorst spoke about the unreasonable expectations on Harden. He also gave him a backhanded compliment about his extra curricular activities.
Windhorst said:
"Last year, even though he clearly wasn't himself, he still put up great numbers. There is still an excellent player there and if you don't expect him to be an MVP, it changes your viewpoint of him.
"He's going to maybe reset where he's going to be, he's still going to be very productive, and hopefully the help he'll have on this roster next season will make his dominance less important for the 76ers to be successful. His number was retired at strip clubs in Houston, I think the man had some good times."
James Harden has declined his player option worth over $47 million for the 2022-23 season. This means that the 76ers have more cap space to surround him with better players. Harden is expected to sign a long-term contract with the franchise that will be worth a little less than the max.
What does James Harden add to Philadelphia?
The NBA has seen many versions of James Harden. Harden was an unstoppable scoring machine with the Houston Rockets. At Brooklyn Nets, he played as a quintessential point guard who facilitated the offense.
James Harden with Sixers
First 4 games: Since:
27 PPG 20 PPG
59 FG% 36 FG%
50 3P% 30 3P%
He has as many turnovers as field goals in his last 5 games. https://t.co/wscCqDDrym
Last season, the 76ers hoped they would get a combination of both but in the end, they ended up with neither.
As things stand, Harden's nability to run the pick-and-roll with Joel Embiid will be crucial to the 76ers' fortunes next season.
The 76ers gambled big time on Harden by giving away arguably the best defender in the league (Ben Simmons) and a sharpshooter (Seth Curry) to get him. While Harden is a liability defensively, he has the offensive prowess to mask his deficiencies, and that is what the 76ers will count on next season.
Harden is one of 3 players ever with 3,000 points in the postseason and no NBA championship ring.
Most Playoff Points Without NBA Title - NBA History
4,761 Karl Malone
3,623 Elgin Baylor
3,191 James Harden https://t.co/x7N9n61uvM