NBA teams held their annual preseason media days Monday, but point guard James Harden was not in attendance with the rest of his 76ers teammates. Instead, the veteran was away from the team while he waits for news about his trade request.
It’s the third time Harden has tried to force a trade, having done so previously with the Rockets and Nets, and even some of Harden’s most ardent supporters are struggling to defend the point guard’s latest crusade. To wit, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith criticized Harden’s decision to not show up Monday.
“I like James Harden a lot, but he’s been acting like a damn child,” Smith said.
Throughout the summer, Harden has tried to make 76ers executive Darryl Morey look bad for not trading him. He went so far as to publicly criticize Morey by calling him a “liar” for not fulfilling the request. According to Smith, the more games Harden plays off the court, the worse he looks compared to Morey.
“Daryl Morey is not looking bad now,” Smith said. “The more James Harden reveals his disgust, the more petulant he looks, the worse he looks.”
James Harden needs to stop this B.S. pic.twitter.com/gB2xMo2xCu
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) October 3, 2023
