Home

NBA

“We All Grown A** Men”: Ex-NBA Star Breaks Down Why James Harden Failed With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving at Nets

Published 10/15/2022, 9:00 AM EDT

Follow Us

Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden has been in the news a lot in recent years, especially for his performance last year and his situation with the Brooklyn Nets. In the years when Harden was traded to the Nets by the Houston Rockets, we saw several great players come together. In Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving, a great trio was formed. Following these three, fans were expecting a great season.  

However, the trade didn’t go as planned, and Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. During the trade, guard Ben Simmons was acquired in exchange for Harden. Aside from that, Harden suffered from lingering hamstring issues throughout the season.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

There were many issues faced by Brooklyn Nets players as well. In a recent interview, Iman Shumpert discussed the reasons why Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving didn’t work out. Aside from the issue of putting together great players and expecting them to work immediately, the former NBA champion also discussed the issue of developing great players over time. 

“Next Thing You Know Out for 12 Months”: NBA World in Shambles as LeBron James’ Lakers Face Major Setback With 29-Year-Old Star

Shumpert explained that it takes time. He added that the failure was not solely due to James Harden, but also to many other factors and circumstances. In the current basketball landscape, these three are arguably among the best offensive players ever assembled. After the team entered 2022, Durant and Irving both expressed their desire to part ways in the off-season. 

Iman Shumpert talks about the Nets’ relationship with Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden

During an interview, the former NBA veteran explained how the situation in the team differed from what was expected. The first thing he mentioned was the injury James suffered during that time and the vaccination issue that led to Irving missing numerous matches.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

USA Today via Reuters

“When you got to deal with injuries and then you got to deal with the COVID rule where if Kyrie didn’t take the vaccination, so now we sitting here like, ‘Well he should have just taken the vaccination’. I think it’s like bro, we shouldn’t be forced to take s*** like actually, we all grown a** men, and if we say no, it’s a no.”

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

WATCH THIS STORY: If the NBA is Disney, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal are Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, Claimed Lakers Legend’s Ex-Agent in 1993

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Now that James Harden is with the 76ers, it will be exciting to see what this new season has in store for ‘The Beard’.

How do you think the Brooklyn Nets will fare with their new big three of Durant, Irving, and Simmons next season? Feel free to share your thoughts on this in the comments section below. 

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Anshika Rai

868Articles

One take at a time

Anshika Rai is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. She is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communication. Anshika has been following NBA for many years now.
Show More>

Edited by:

Veer Badani