The Brooklyn Nets had a potentially all-time great trio in Kevin Durant, James HardenAnd Kyrie Irving. Due to injuries and Irving’s refusal to get a COVID-19 shot, this group only played 16 games with each other, with the trio losing one member when Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers l ‘last year.
That era of Nets basketball officially ended this week when the team traded Irving to the Dallas Mavericks and Durant to the Phoenix Suns. And in a rather odd coincidence, Saturday also marked Harden’s first game in Brooklyn since being sent to Philadelphia last year. The game itself was good enough – the Sixers rallied to win, 101-98, despite Spencer Dinwiddie hitting a shot near half the pitch that officials ruled was not out of his league. hand on time.
After the end, Harden spoke to the media and was asked about things ending in Brooklyn. He didn’t hold back, calling the time “frustrating” and saying that “I don’t look crazy. I don’t look like the quitter or whatever the media wants to call me.
James Harden on his time with the Nets: “…fast forward to today, I don’t look like a fool. I don’t look like a quitter or whatever what the media want to call me. I knew what was going on and I just decided I wasn’t cut out for this. I don’t want to deal with it…” (1/2)
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) February 12, 2023
Harden continued, “I want to play basketball and have fun and enjoy it. Fast forward to today, they have a brand new roster.”
— Ky Carlin (@Ky_Carlin) February 12, 2023
Harden, while discussing his tenure with KD/Kyrie:
“It’s frustrating. It’s a lot to do, I think when you play less than 20 games together. So it’s a bit frustrating, but that’s what it is. I hope everything the world is in a good place now and that we can move on.”
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) February 12, 2023
Harden had a productive night returning to Brooklyn, scoring 29 points with six assists and six rebounds in 37 minutes on the job.