James Harden causes stir with Instagram post

Harden posted on his Instagram Stories, "Been comfortable for so long. It's time to get uncomfortable."

It's interesting timing, coming one day after a report by ESPN's Zach Lowe that an extended holdout by Harden could prevent him from reaching free agency. Historically, a holdout hasn't been Harden's style. When he's previously forced a trade, which he's successful done twice since 2020, Harden just makes things, well, uncomfortable.

In the fall of 2020, Harden decided the Houston Rockets were no longer contenders, and that he wanted to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets. He told Russell Westbrook, who requested a trade of his own, and when Houston didn't complete the deal, Harden "showed up to training camp late and appeared visibly out of shape." He also made his party lifestyle extremely public, attending high-profile events like a birthday party for rapper Lil Baby.

He also defied COVID-19 protocols to visit strip clubs.

Then, so as not to ruin Brooklyn's interest, the "out of shape" Harden scored 44 points and delivered 17 assists in Houston's season opener.

When Houston still didn't trade him, Harden started acting out. He threw a ball at a teammate in practice and told reporters that his team was "just not good enough" and that the situation was unfixable. Two days later, he was traded to Brooklyn.

Less than a year later in Brooklyn, Harden decided he no longer wanted to play for the Nets. Again, the guard showed up out of shape. He began leaving the team to go clubbing in Houston. After a few months, he began sitting out games with mysterious "hamstring tightness." Of course, that injury only caused Harden to sit out four games after Brooklyn traded him to the 76ers.

In his final game as a Net, Harden made just two shots while turning the ball over six times. His work slowdown got him traded a week later.

So while Harden is required to have his physical body in a Sixers uniform, there's no rule that requires him to play hard or avoid the clubs. There's no telling whether Harden gets traded or not, but we can say that The Beard will make things uncomfortable.