James Harden: 'I wasn't disrespectful to anyone' in Houston
Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden finally got his wish to be traded from the Houston Rockets organization. After months of disrespectful actions toward the franchise, enough was enough following his comments after a 117-100 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 31-year-old was held out of Houston's practice on Wednesday after he said the Rockets "can't be fixed" and that the club is "not even close" to being a contender in the Western Conference. DeMarcus Cousins, in particular, took exception to those comments, saying Harden's disrespect began before that postgame interview.
Speaking in his first press conference as a member of the Nets on Friday, Harden said he "wasn't disrespectful to anyone," which is pretty questionable given how he treated his teammates over the final months.
In his final weeks in Houston, Harden essentially quit on the franchise, scoring less than 20 points in each of his last four games. In eight games this season, the 31-year-old is averaging 24.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 10.4 assists per game while shooting 44.4% from the field and 34.7% from deep.
For comparison, Harden hasn't averaged under 25 points per game since the 2011-12 campaign, his third year in the NBA and final season with the Thunder.
Harden was traded from the Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday as part of a multi-team trade. The deal reunites Harden with Kevin Durant, whom he played with in Oklahoma City, and pairs him with Kyrie Irving as the Nets look to build a title contender in the Eastern Conference.
The Nets are scheduled to play again on Saturday against the Orlando Magic. They could have Harden, Irving and Durant available for that game if Irving returns from his mandatory quarantine following an extended absence from the franchise that resulted in a $50,000 fine for violating health and safety protocols.
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