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James Harden, the prominent NBA star, has found himself in hot water for openly denouncing the Philadelphia 76ers' management. As a result of his sharp comments, the NBA slapped Harden with a hefty $100,000 fine on Tuesday.
This fine came on the heels of Harden's outspoken critique of his current status with the 76ers, especially his pointed words for 76ers team president, Daryl Morey. Describing Morey as "a liar", Harden garnered significant media attention. The NBA's action, however, primarily focuses on Harden's declaration that he wouldn't adhere to his player contract's obligations unless he received a trade. The league took this stance after confirming with Harden about the reasons behind his criticism of Morey, which was largely rooted in Harden's belief that his trade request would be denied by the 76ers.
The imposed fine of $100,000 is the maximum financial penalty the NBA can inflict on a player for such violations.
Rumors surfaced earlier that Harden had exercised his player option worth $35.6 million for the 2023-24 season this past June. The understanding was that Daryl Morey would subsequently arrange a trade. However, recent news indicates that the 76ers communicated to Harden's agent, Mike Silverman, about the difficulties they faced in securing a trade for the 10-time All-Star player. The franchise emphasized that they would only sanction a trade if it would bolster their chances of vying for an NBA championship.
Harden didn't hesitate to share his views on Morey during an event in China, reiterating in a widely shared video, "Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of."
While the 76ers were rumored to be in trade conversations with NBA teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks, no definitive outcomes emerged from those talks.
Harden, set to celebrate his 34th birthday this Saturday, played a significant role alongside NBA MVP Joel Embiid during the last season. With an impressive average of 21.0 points and a league-topping 10.7 assists, Harden was instrumental in driving the 76ers to the third spot in the Eastern Conference. However, their journey was halted in the conference semifinals by the Boston Celtics. Harden's postseason performance showed flashes of brilliance but was overall inconsistent.
Over the span of his illustrious career, James Harden has maintained robust averages: 24.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.5 steals across 1,000 regular-season games.
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