James Harden and Daryl Morey have been linked together for over a decade. Their relationship began in 2012, when Morey was the general manager of the Houston Rockets and he traded for Harden, who was then a young and promising player with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Harden quickly blossomed into one of the best players in the NBA under Morey’s guidance. The two men developed a close relationship, and they were instrumental in building the Rockets into one of the most successful teams in the league.
Together, Harden and Morey led the Rockets to the playoffs in eight consecutive seasons, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2018. Harden also won three scoring titles, was named to the All-NBA First Team six times, and became an MVP during his time in Houston.
However, the relationship between Harden and Morey began to sour in recent years. The Rockets were unable to win a championship, and Harden reportedly became frustrated with the team’s direction. In January 2021, Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
The trade of Harden was a sign that the Harden-Morey relationship was irreparable. The two men had different visions for the future of their careers, and they were no longer able to work together.
In August 2022, Morey was hired as the president of basketball operations for the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers acquired Harden at the trade deadline in February 2023, which reunited the two men.
However, the reunion has not gone smoothly. Harden has struggled to play at the same level he did in Houston, and the 76ers have underperformed in the playoffs.
In October 2023, Harden publicly criticized Morey, saying that he felt betrayed by the Rockets’ general manager, branding the esteemed GM a liar and voicing his unwillingness to play under him.
The relationship between the two has been destroyed completely, and according to Harden himself, is unsalvageable. Last week, Harden revealed that he never wants to speak with his former friend again.
Harden eventually was traded to the Los Angles Clippers. Then, before the Clippers’ game against the Dallas Mavericks last night, Mavericks broadcaster Brian Dameris took some time to address Harden by absolutely destroying the former MVP in a two-minutes long monologue, while laying out why Harden isn’t The Beard, nor the system, but the problem.
“Because listen, I get on my knees every night and pray for someone to believe in me like [former Rockets GM and current Sixers GM] Daryl Morey believed in you.
You wanted a certain coach, [the Houston Rockets] brought in Mike D’Antoni. You wanted to play a certain style, they played it. You wanted Dwight Howard, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him.
You wanted Chris Paul, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him. They brought in your old friend Russell Westbrook.
You want to go to Vegas on off days? They looked away. You wanted the team to stay over so you could go out at night, they changed the schedule—and it didn’t work.
And you know what, you said… I see the bright lights of New York. I want to go there. My old pal Kevin Durant. It’s gonna work, the big three—and all after one year you wanted out.
You realized, “oh my gosh! I took this guy for granted, the guy that believed in me. I want back with Daryl Morey.” They traded Ben Simmons for you—how did they pull that off?
And you know what? You went there, and you got a partner [Joel Embiid] who got the MVP. He won the MVP, and what did you say afterwards? You said, “they didn’t hand me the reigns.” You’re the point guard! You were holding the reigns!
And what did you do when you had the reigns? You scored 9 points in Game 7 against Boston, you blew a 3-2 series lead. So they fired their coach, not good enough.
You broke up with the guy that believed in you again, you said “the bright lights of LA! That’s where I want to go! Let’s see if that works.”
Listen James, have you ever had those friends who had bad roommates? Over and over they complained about their bad roommates: “this guy’s terrible,” “the bad roommate here,” they never thought to be self aware enough that THEY’RE the bad roommate! They’re the problem!
Hey James, YOU’RE the PROBLEM! If this doesn’t work this year, in this system, with this team, then you’re gonna go and point fingers at everybody else and then you’re gonna go back home and you’re gonna start swiping right for another team, and there’s not gonna be anyone left.
Because James, you’re not the beard, you’re not the system, you’re the problem.”
Tell us how you really feel, @bdameris.
Mic drop. #MFFL | @dallasmavs on @BallySportsSW pic.twitter.com/xxPVbYncQ6
— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) November 11, 2023
