"I apologize for how it went down" - James Harden reflects on forcing a move to Brooklyn Nets
It's been almost a month since the Houston Rockets traded James Harden to the Brooklyn Nets. Former league MVP Harden was quick to address the fact that he wished this whole saga could have been handled smoothly, as he mentioned:
"I wasn't trying to be disrespectful or selfish... I apologize for how it went down."
The deal was one of if not the biggest deals in the history of the NBA, as the Brooklyn Nets went all-in on their ambitions of locking in a championship.
Speaking to Rachel Nichols of ESPN, James Harden was asked a host of questions in this interview, from people questioning his intent to lean into his skills as a playmaker to his frustrations with the Houston Rockets. Here's what he had to say about that:
"There's always going to be some kind of negative perception on James, but you know that's why you go out there and continue to prove people wrong. The situation that I was in at Houston, consistently... you know every single night having to get 40 points to give ourselves a chance to win for the longest of the years..it's draining."
James Harden confident about winning a championship with Brooklyn Nets
James Harden is confident that the Brooklyn Nets have what it takes to win the championship this season. When asked about it, he expressed:
"Of course, we are more than confident that its going to be difficult for a team to beat us 4 times in a best of 7-series."
The Brooklyn Nets, meanwhile, have had to deal with multiple games without the services of Kevin Durant due to Covid-19 protocols. When talking about the Brooklyn Nets' current season, Harden hinted the Nets don't necessarily have to be amazing, they just need to be solid. He also exclaimed that it's been difficult to play well consistently this season, mainly due to the team playing so frequently.
James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant all available against Golden State Warriors
The Brooklyn Nets face the Golden State Warriors next, as Kevin Durant returns to the Bay area to face his former team. The Nets will have the Big-Three available for the first time since KD pulled out midway through a game against a loss to the Raptors.