Home/NBA
feature-image

USA Today via Reuters

feature-image

USA Today via Reuters

James Harden is a well-known name now, not because of his offensive prowess but because of his trade legacy. With the recent trade from the Philadelphia 76ers to the LA Clippers, Harden has stepped onto a fifth team in his career. “No-D” Harden now has the reputation of a player who leaves when the going gets tough, and he is desperate to change that.

As a former Brooklyn Net, Harden’s visit to his old stomping ground was certainly met with a lot of negative reactions from the fans. But how is Harden’s return to the Barclays Center playing out?

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

James Harden vs. the Brooklyn Nets

While Harden is putting his best foot forward with the new franchise, the face-off with the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Arena tonight is not a good one. It’s an open secret that the Harden-Simmons trade saga is not a favorite one for Nets fans. However, tonight the courtside was buzzing with chants to provoke the player to miss shots. 8 minutes into the first quarter, Harden was given a free throw tonight. While Harden was preparing to take the shots, the Brooklyn Nets fans started screaming “Daryl Morey” at the top of their lungs to throw the Beard off his game.

However, he seemed to keep his cool, scoring two regular free throws against his former franchise. The jump shots and steals that followed against the Nets somehow appear to be Harden’s answer to the disgruntled audience. Along with his resilience to start all over again with a new team, Kawhi Leonard supported his efforts, and the latter’s assists were well-distributed in tonight’s play.

Harden has scored a tally of 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in his 25 minutes on the hardwood. With 71-73 in the third quarter, the LA Clippers are trailing behind. It seems that the game has witnessed a 180 with the Nets having such loyal fans in the arena tonight.

How the fourth quarter turns out for the player vs. the former team is indeed a much-awaited question.

James Harden’s trade history with the Brooklyn Nets

The Brooklyn Nets put their all into creating the then-famous Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. After trading away Jarrett Allen and Caris LeVert along with four first-round picks, Harden could honor the other two on the hardwood. However, the trio didn’t seem to work with Harden and Durant’s back-to-back injuries the entire season. With just 16 games, the trio couldn’t stand the odds of COVID-19, while Kyrie Irving was deemed ineligible due to his stance on vaccinations.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

It was not even early February when ‘The Bread” dreamed of having a better season with the Philadelphia 76ers. The involvement of Daryl Morey as one of the shot callers in the Sixers could be a prominent reason for the trade. However, Harden went missing in the last four games with the Nets, and that was a no-no for the fans.

Read More: Clippers Injury Update: Is James Harden Playing Tonight? Availability Report on 10X All-Star After Ugly Loss vs Knicks

What’s astonishing is that Harden is promoting team play instead of proving his mettle on the hardwood after this new trade. Although the shooting guard has been putting up an average performance since his debut against the Knicks, he is here to stay.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Do you think the Clippers will manage to keep him for the next season, or will the Beard land his sixth team next season? Let us know in the comment section.

Watch This Story: 5 Months After Running Doc Rivers Out of Philadelphia, James Harden Receives Honest Advice From the Legendary Coach

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT