"If you didn't hear it from me, I don't talk to nobody" - James Harden vehemently denies reports of him being upset with Kyrie Irving's part-time playing status
James Harden is reportedly "frustrated and disappointed" with the Brooklyn Nets' losing record of late. That is in addition to all the reports involving him being unhappy in Brooklyn.
Harden expressed his disappointment after the Nets dropped yet another game, this time at home to the LA Lakers. The Brooklyn Nets lost 96-106 on Tuesday night in what was their third loss in five games. They were without Kevin Durant (injured) and Kyrie Irving (cannot play in Brooklyn home games) for the contest.
Back at it tomorrow https://t.co/9sULT6mhWe
Although Harden had a solid outing for the Brooklyn Nets, with 33 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists versus the Lakers, he expressed unhappiness about the "inconsistency" involving the team. He told the media following the loss:
"I don't know about any reports. Of course, I'm frustrated because we're not healthy. There's a lot of inconsistency for whatever reason - injuries, COVID, whatever you want to call it. I think everybody in this organization is frustrated because we are better than what our record is, and we should be on the way up."
The nine-time All-Star added:
"That's all it is. I don't know about reports. If you didn't hear it from me, I don't talk to anybody. I have an agent. If you don't hear from me, then it's reports. I'm frustrated because I want to win and I'm a competitor. It's pretty simple."
"Of course I'm frustrated because we're not healthy. It's a lot of inconsistency for whatever reason - injuries, COVID, whatever you want to call it...I don't know reports. If you don't hear from me, then it's reports. I'm frustrated because I want to win" - James Harden https://t.co/zBHirZ6eoZ
James Harden is allegedly unhappy with the Brooklyn Nets' handling of the Kyrie Irving situation
Part of James Harden's frustrations stem from Kyrie Irving being unavailable for Brooklyn Nets home games because of his unvaccinated (against COVID-19) status.
A recent report filed by Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report details Harden's displeasure with how the Nets organization has handled Irving's situation. The 29-year-old point guard is only available to play road games for Brooklyn. Fischer's report states:
"Harden has been vocal to Nets figures and close contacts alike about his frustrations regarding Kyrie Irving's part-time playing status. A recent injury to Kevin Durant has exacerbated the issue, leaving Harden to shoulder the majority of the offensive burden during Brooklyn home games."
Ever-important behind Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons trade talks, James Harden has recently told several confidants—including former teammates and coaches—of his growing interest to explore other opportunities outside of Brooklyn this summer. More at @BR_NBA: bleacherreport.com/articles/29527…
For the time being, though, Harden remains firmly invested in the Brooklyn Nets' 2021-22 campaign. But with Kyrie not committing to getting vaccinated and Durant out for a few more weeks, the speculation involving James Harden's future with Brooklyn could get even more interesting.