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The situation between James Harden and the Philadelphia 76ers, especially with general manager Daryl Morey, isn’t great. Throughout the offseason, there were hints that Harden wanted to leave the Sixers in free agency, but he chose to opt into his contract to facilitate a sign-and-trade instead.
From the start, Morey and the Sixers understood Harden’s plan and remained open to it. However, tensions escalated when Harden publicly criticized Morey during his China visit, branding the esteemed GM a liar and voicing his unwillingness to play under him.
To many, the situation with Harden isn’t surprising, and that includes former Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale, who handled the disgruntled Sixers superstar for a little over three seasons.
Per Heavy Sports:
“Yeah, not so much,” McHale said when asked if he was taken aback by the news.
It seems like McHale knows that Harden might act differently when he is not inclined to play for a particular person or team. As evidence, McHale referenced the 2015-16 NBA training camp when Harden arrived overweight and appeared reluctant to play.
This incident followed closely after McHale’s decision to bench Harden out during the fourth quarter in Game 6 against the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2014-15 NBA playoffs.
“The next year he came to camp, he was fat and didn’t feel like playing, and I got fired [11] games into the season,” McHale said. “He had a plan.”
