Harden endures miserable Brooklyn return with wayward shots and fans taunts
James Harden had a miserable return at the Brooklyn Nets as he played his second-ever game for the Los Angeles Clippers following his trade from the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 2018 NBA MVP got his trade wish after a difficult offseason, that saw him publicly accuse 76ers chief Daryl Morey of being a "liar". Harden wasn't involved much in Philadelphia's preparations for the new season either before trading East for West.
But misery has followed Harden, who, with the Clippers, has endured back-to-back defeats. Harden put up 17 points in just over half an hour in a debut loss to the New York Knicks and he followed that performance with a 12-point showing in his return to the Nets.
As Harden graced the court, he was met with taunts by Brooklyn fans, who cheered him on for two seasons in 2020/21 and 2021/22, before he departed for Philly. The 10-time NBA All-Star was subject to "Daryl Morey" chants as he was shooting a free throw in the first quarter.
He also had a cross-court pass caught by commentator Ian Eagle in the second quarter, who had a little jab at the 34-year-old. "That’s comin’ my way! I got it," Eagle said. "Unbelievable. I could see it from the beginning… That might have been my greatest call in NBA history. I knew it from the second it left his hand… I also have tea all over my lap.”
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The poor start to his Clippers career comes after Harden called himself 'the system' of the team. “When I said ‘on a leash’, I don’t mean just shooting the basketball every time," he said. "I think the game. I’m a creator on the court.
"If I’ve got a voice, someone that trusts me, believes in me, understands me – I’m not a system player, I’m a system. If I have someone who can have a dialogue with me, make adjustments on the fly throughout the course of the game, that’s all I really care about. It’s not about having the basketball, or scoring 30, 40 points a night. I’ve done that already.”
James Harden struggled on his return to Brooklyn (Getty)Up next for the 3-4 Clippers is a date with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night as part of the NBA In-Season Tournament, designed to give franchises a shot at a trophy before the end of the year. The Memphis Grizzlies will then visit LA on Sunday.
Head coach Tyronn Lue wants his stars to be braver as Paul George, Kawhi Leonard, Harden, and Russell Westbrook try to forge an understanding. “When we were getting open shots they were not taken and that forces us to take even harder shots,” Lue said.
“So, just trying to find those guys on the floor, just not step on each other’s toes. But they got to be themselves. That’s the biggest thing, that’s the biggest message, be who you are and if you’re doing too much we’ll let you know.”
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