James Harden's comments further fuel speculation about the star moving to China: "The love is just like ... it's crazy"
Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden may be at an impasse with the Sixers, but he’s certainly been enjoying his time in China. The 10-time All-Star recently traveled to Beijing for an Adidas-sponsored event.
During the event, Harden publicly called Sixers President Daryl Morey a "liar" for not offering him a maximum contract extension this offseason. Harden then made it clear that he will never play for a Morey-led team again and that he is now awaiting a new NBA home.
However, his recent comments about his trip have left some fans speculating that Harden could take his talents to China instead.
Speaking in China, Harden raved about the love and support he receives every time he travels to the country. He then added that Chinese fans deserve to see him play in their home country:
“Every time I come here, the love is just like ... it's crazy, you know what I mean?
“So, I feel like they deserve to actually see me come play here.”
Harden’s comments about Chinese fans deserving to see him play could also be perceived as a subtle dig at Sixers fans. This comes as many have been calling him a diva following his latest trade request.
However, even if Harden was serious about playing overseas, it may be difficult for him to do so without the permission of the Sixers.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement states that any player, "who withholds playing services for more than 30 days after the start of the last season covered by his contract could be deemed to have violated his contract and forbidden from entering free agency and signing with another professional team until the team he last played for expressly agrees otherwise.”
So, things could get ugly for both Harden and Philly if he opts to refuse to play out the final year ($35.6 million) of his contract.
Harden expected to engage in lengthy standoff with Sixers
According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, James Harden’s standoff with the Philadelphia 76ers could be a lengthy one.
During a recent appearance on "NBA Today", Shelburne spoke in-depth about the Sixers star's latest trade request. Shelburne said that Harden’s comments about Daryl Morey are only the beginning of how far he is willing to go to make life difficult for Philly:
“Somebody said to me yesterday, ‘This is only the beginning. This is just the beginning of what James Harden is going to do to make life very uncomfortable for the Philadelphia 76ers going into training camp,’” Shelburne said.
It remains to be seen if Harden will report to training camp with the Sixers. However, either way, it looks like he will continue to put pressure on Philly to find him a new home as soon as possible.
Harden averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 10.7 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.8 3-pointers per game on 44.1% shooting over 58 games last season.
Also read: "This guy is poison": NBA analyst gives brutal assessment of James Harden's market value