“He is a bad guy” - Skip Bayless says he’s ‘done’ with James Harden, believes he’s a bad teammate
Skip Bayless did not hold back while discussing James Harden on the latest episode of "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed." Bayless, in his distinct style, called Harden a bad guy for bailing out on the Brooklyn Nets. As soon as the 2018 MVP makes an appearance for the Philadelphia 76ers, The Beard would officially have played on three teams in two years. A fact that has left many insiders and the Nets disgruntled.
On the show, Bayless said the following regarding James Harden's trade:
""James Harden flat out quit on his second team in two years. Because of that, I'm out on him. I'm done with him because, in the basketball context, he is a bad guy. I don't mean it in the life context, I am talking about as a teammate."
"As somebody that you can quote-unquote count on or not count on, he is a bad guy. He is trouble waiting to happen. He will either disappoint you or just completely leave you flat when you least expect it."
"James Harden flat out quit on his second team in two years. Because of that, I'm out on him. I'm done with him."
— @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/4NFVP5aX7p
James Harden is now a Sixer. In an interview, Harden publicly confessed that Philly was his first choice while he was pushing for a trade out from Houston.
"Originally, when I was going through everything I was going through in Houston, Philly was my first choice."
Did Kyrie Irving's situation impact James Harden's desire to leave the Nets? https://t.co/5fdZxXTheF
Harden's statements are a reflection of the storm he left behind in his wake. The Nets, who were championed as the next big thing, ended up being only slightly better than the average team last season.
After Kevin Durant's injury and Kyrie Irving's part-time status, they were even worse than the average team. With a ten-game losing streak and a whole lot of rumors behind him, James Harden is now comfortably integrating with Joel Embiid and company.
The Cold War between James Harden and Kevin Durant ended the Brooklyn Nets super team
As per Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, the Ben Simmons-Harden trade wasn't an impulsive or hasty move. In his article, Fischer reported that things haven't been going well between KD and James since the season began.
Fischer wrote: "But Durant had been discouraged by Harden since the Nets arrived in San Diego for training camp, according to sources familiar with both players."
He continued: "The previous offseason, Los Angeles pickup runs with Durant and Irving planted the idea in Harden's mind to flee the Houston Rockets. This summer, Harden and Durant never entered the same gym, and Durant was disappointed by the poor conditioning Harden sported during those early Nets practices. Harden was also increasingly candid about wanting to test free agency for the first time."
From Durant's perspective, keeping a player who wasn't willing to contribute his hundred percent was foolish. Even more so considering that the said player would enter free agency in the off-season, leaving the team with even fewer bargaining chips.
Furthermore, Harden's behavior prior to his trade from the Houston Rockets to the Nets was quite a colorful picture of what an unwilling Harden looked like. There was no choice but to trade him and get whoever was worthy and available. In this case, it was Ben Simmons.