Why did James Harden want to leave the Nets?

[stormi]

Harden came to Brooklyn to play with what he thought was a big 3. That big 3 only suited up in 16 of a possible 125 games together and went 13-3 and were clicking at the greatest offense the league had statistically ever seen.

Irving and his vax battle were just an indication to Harden that this Brooklyn team wasn't serious on trying to win a championship. Got out at the right time imo.

[Gramercy Riffs]

Watch on YouTube

Patty Mills visibly annoyed at the bottom, Kyrie tunes him out, everyone walks off while he goes ISO.

That was his final game as a Net.

Lol, you're ridiculous. Your interpretation of the back of Patty's head is "visibly annoyed"? I get that you need to build a case against Harden to show your loyalty but you can't just make stuff up.

Please avoid personal attacks. Don't tell people they are ridiculous. Tell them their post is ridiculous. I know it's just semantics to a degree but them's the rules. -b

[bisme37]

It's so amusing how people do a complete 180 on players the moment they leave their team.

[NBA Sheady]

Imagine if Kyrie wasn't scared of needles.

[hoosierdaddy34]

IMO, reading the tea leaves…it really seems like he didn’t take Kyrie seriously. He didn’t like Kyrie playing part time and only being bought in for 45% of their games. It all started to go downhill after Kyrie came back. And I get it. Why am I going out and battling every night and this dude is too busy on his political stance to be there for us? I am not a Harden fan, in fact I find him and his style of play annoying. But he’s absolutely right here. Kyrie being allowed to play gives off the vibes that the organization isn’t committed to winning and isn’t a serious organization. So why would he waste his last couple seasons of potentially winning a title on them?

[danvato]

Watch on YouTube

Patty Mills visibly annoyed at the bottom, Kyrie tunes him out, everyone walks off while he goes ISO.

That was his final game as a Net.

Lol, you're ridiculous. Your interpretation of the back of Patty's head is "visibly annoyed"? I get that you need to build a case against Harden to show your loyalty but you can't just make stuff up.

Please avoid personal attacks. Don't tell people they are ridiculous. Tell them their post is ridiculous. I know it's just semantics to a degree but them's the rules. -b

holy ****, you got a warning for calling someone ridiculous. I don't even think a pre-schooler gets reprimanded for that.

[danvato]

It's so amusing how people do a complete 180 on players the moment they leave their team.

I think that says a lot about the player than the people. People are like that.

I fully support Caris and Allen on the Cavs and wish them nothing but the past. For Harden i wish cold day old cheese steaks and massive diahead in their 1st round flame out. My bet most Sixers fans wish the same for Simmons. Both players deserve the well wishes.

[G R E Y]

He loves Morey more than he does the snake.

I wish someone would Instagram live when Harden and Morey see each other for the first time since this trade was completed and they both have big smiles on their face and bring it in for a long loving hug. Such a beautiful moment should be captured on camera, these 2 are meant to be together forever <3

Read on Twitter

Just in time for Valentine's lol

[G R E Y]

He came in out of shape again.

Durant was not happy with his teammate’s conditioning on arrival in Nets camp at the University of San Diego back in September. KD was in world-beating shape — as was Irving. Harden not so much.

“Harden was heavy and out of shape, and intrigued with the idea of free agency for the first time in his career.”

Partied before the GSW game which explains how we ‘woke up’ with a hand injury, followed by his 4 points in 37 minute performance in Sacramento.

Other issues also played a role in Harden’s unhappiness — like the rule changes that prevented him from getting to the line — and the Nets weren’t happy with him either, particularly his late night socializing as recently as the team’s West Coast road trip last week.

I knew something was going on when I saw this live:

Watch on YouTube

Patty Mills visibly annoyed at the bottom, Kyrie tunes him out, everyone walks off while he goes ISO.

That was his final game as a Net.

The very definition of checked out. And I'm not convinced he ever checked in to begin with:

Read on Twitter

[DirtyDez]

What are the chances Harden/Morey were in cahoots about him tanking/obesing his way to Philly?

[danvato]

He came in out of shape again.

Durant was not happy with his teammate’s conditioning on arrival in Nets camp at the University of San Diego back in September. KD was in world-beating shape — as was Irving. Harden not so much.

“Harden was heavy and out of shape, and intrigued with the idea of free agency for the first time in his career.”

Partied before the GSW game which explains how we ‘woke up’ with a hand injury, followed by his 4 points in 37 minute performance in Sacramento.

Other issues also played a role in Harden’s unhappiness — like the rule changes that prevented him from getting to the line — and the Nets weren’t happy with him either, particularly his late night socializing as recently as the team’s West Coast road trip last week.

I knew something was going on when I saw this live:

Watch on YouTube

Patty Mills visibly annoyed at the bottom, Kyrie tunes him out, everyone walks off while he goes ISO.

That was his final game as a Net.

The very definition of checked out. And I'm not convinced he ever checked in to begin with:

Read on Twitter

Are you aware that as context for your "never check-in" opinion, you posted a clip from literally the same game, which happened to be his last for the Nets?

[WestbrookGOATed]

I wondered as well, didn't know anything about him being unhappy with Kyrie but that makes sense. It's crazy because if all 3 are healthy and playing no one in the east is beating them. Parity is cool though.

[JB2]

Imagine if Kyrie wasn't scared of needles.

Kyrie did the rest of the NBA a favor because if those 3 are healthy, focused, hungry, and with the shooters they had around them, there was virtually no shot they wouldn't go on a 3 peat type run.

[Nate505]

i feel like we might've missed out on watching the greatest trio of all time.

Thank god

[Ado05]

Cause he's scared of the grind. The Anti-Lillard if you will.

[Nate505]

Harden is a quitter.

When the going gets tough he gets going.

Sounds like Durant

[GregOden]

James Harden declined an extension and reportedly asked for a trade even before the season started. If true, the Kyrie situation isn’t relevant at all, other than pissing him off, it appears he prefers to play under Morey above all else.

[G R E Y]

I'm honestly surprised at all the blame Irving posts. And it's not that he doesn't shoulder the blame. The vaccine thing was yet another notch up the 'here we **** go again' ladder. But everyone on the team had to deal with it, and as a team they decided Irving wasn't going to play at all rather than the half in, half out option (before they put it back on the table due to injuries). And for all intents and purposes Irving was happy to return to play. AND he was ready to play.

The incident related where Harden thought Irving had three heads for saging the locker room was weird but Harden's reaction struck me as exaggerated. He KNEW about Irving and the Native American spirituality interests way before he got there. Maybe Irving did it without his team mates' ok. People having different spiritual pursuits is one thing; I think it's a personal thing and don't like when it's ostentatious so if Irving just came in and saged I could see that maybe rubbing guys the wrong way. But it's not really THAT big a deal, especially since he's already known for it.

Harden showed up to training camp not only out of shape but fat. Harden refused to extend with the Nets. So the good faith buy in on his end wasn't there from the start.

And I think that's because he knew the Morey trump card was always in the back pocket. The initial trade from Houston to Philly didn't work out because of the Rockets owner's desire to not let Morey and Harden get their way. But Harden-Morey team up was always the plan.

And now we're reading the RealGM article that Harden and KD hadn't been on speaking terms since before KD's injury in January, AND Harden had been ghosting his team mates since then, too.

Patty and LMA must have thought 'here we bloody go again' as they'd experienced the same thing already through the #2 debacle - same **** bull **** MO.

Notice how the team dealt with Irving as a team and that was that. But despite Irving's weirdness, it is Harden that is the bigger distraction. Again, imagine how horrible you must be around when even with Irving there Patty Mills is glad that the team doesn't have to deal with 'the distraction'. It's damning.

Harden had plenty he could control, including his reaction to Irving. Everyone else handled it because everyone else knew the long term goal. Well Harden didn't give a **** about it. If it worked out and he could get a ring that way, fine. But he was never going to be with anyone but Morey who coddled him his entire career, who got players and got rid of players Harden wanted. And in the case of the latter, since Harden doesn't have the push with the FO to get rid of players, he once again couldn't get along not only with Irving, but also KD, and then the rest of the team so that he could be removed to where he wanted to go all along.

So he didn't like that KD had more FO pull, that Irving was a part-timer. Ego stuff. Ok. But KD and Irving were ready to play. Harden's GAF level wasn't there from the start. And if you look at clips from what was his last Nets game, Harden's GAF level only dropped. He couldn't be bothered unless he's with Morey, unless his ego's stroked, unless he gets to call the shots.

It's going to be fascinating how he and Joel get along. Joel's not backing down, and if any player has a bigger pull with not just Morey but ownership, it's JE.

Not saying Irving didn't play a part, but this seems inevitable from the start, and Harden's actions, controlling what he could but choosing to GTFO with his behaviour and actions are at the center of this. Not a leader. At least Joel's there for that.

[G R E Y]

He came in out of shape again.



Partied before the GSW game which explains how we ‘woke up’ with a hand injury, followed by his 4 points in 37 minute performance in Sacramento.



I knew something was going on when I saw this live:

Watch on YouTube

Patty Mills visibly annoyed at the bottom, Kyrie tunes him out, everyone walks off while he goes ISO.

That was his final game as a Net.

The very definition of checked out. And I'm not convinced he ever checked in to begin with:

Read on Twitter

Are you aware that as context for your "never check-in" opinion, you posted a clip from literally the same game, which happened to be his last for the Nets?

You're taking one part and applying to another. Video's about the 'checked out' part, which book ends the never checked in of his not bothering to show up in any manner of appropriate shape for a pro to begin with.

[scrabbarista]

IMO, reading the tea leaves…it really seems like he didn’t take Kyrie seriously. He didn’t like Kyrie playing part time and only being bought in for 45% of their games. It all started to go downhill after Kyrie came back. And I get it. Why am I going out and battling every night and this dude is too busy on his political stance to be there for us? I am not a Harden fan, in fact I find him and his style of play annoying. But he’s absolutely right here. Kyrie being allowed to play gives off the vibes that the organization isn’t committed to winning and isn’t a serious organization. So why would he waste his last couple seasons of potentially winning a title on them?

"Reading the tea leaves" means reading the future from signs in the present.

EDIT: I mean, very reasonable opinion, though. You actually made me look up the phrase to make sure I wasn't wrong about the meaning myself. Iron sharpens iron.