The feud between Philadelphia 76ers' James Harden and team President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey has reached a new level.
The Sixers star publicly slammed the team executive during an Adidas promotional event in China for his line of apparel, shoes, and other gear for the German sportswear brand.
Harden was asked by an individual in the crowd about his thoughts on the Sixers ending trade talks and trying to bring him in for training camp and the 2023-24 NBA season.
The 33-year-old did not hold back on his response, saying that "Morey is a liar" and that he will never be a part of an organization that the 50-year-old executive is also a part of. He repeated the statement twice to make his point heard.
James Harden: “Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of. Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.” pic.twitter.com/AmHJ0WwbF2
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 14, 2023
Meanwhile, league insider Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported a deeper reason for Harden making those statements.
Woj explained that Harden opted into his player option for 2023-24 with Philly worth $35.6 million at the end of last June, expecting the team to trade him away instead of hitting free agency and negotiating with the Sixers for a longer contract with near maximum-level money.
However, the Sixers were never serious about trading Harden, believing they could not get value back to continue being a contender.
On Saturday, the team pulled Harden back from the market, calling Harden's preferred destination, the Los Angeles Clippers, to tell them that negotiations were off.
With leverage out of his hand since he is contractually tied with the team for the upcoming season, the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player is doing what he can to force a trade out.
"James Harden's goal is to make the Sixers so uncomfortable that they just decide that they cannot bring him back to training camp and they do a trade," Wojnarowski mentioned.
Read more: James Harden Has No Plans of Showing Up to Training Camp After Sixers Refuse to Trade Him
James Harden and Daryl Morey have come a long way
Harden and Morey have been working together for more than a decade now.
Morey was the Houston Rockets general manager since 2007, and he integrated advanced statistical analysis to build his roster. Harden joined the team in 2012 after the Oklahoma City Thunder refused to give him the contract extension he desired.
Spending most of his time in Oklahoma City as a reserve and winning the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in his final season with the Thunder, Harden's prowess was unleashed in Houston after he was given the keys to lead the team.
The Rockets were consistent championship contenders during the 2010s, making the Western Conference Finals in 2015 and 2018. The team had the best record in the NBA during the 2017-18 season, wherein Harden won the NBA MVP award while Morey was named the NBA Executive of the Year.
Morey stepped down from his Rockets post in late 2020 to assume the role of President of Basketball Operations for the Sixers. Harden joined the Sixers in February 2022 in a deal that involved Ben Simmons.
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