Harden: 'I don't look like the crazy one' after leaving Nets' Big Three
After returning to Barclays Center for the first time since being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, James Harden said he wasn't surprised that the Brooklyn Nets traded Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.
"I don't look like the crazy one," Harden said, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell. "I don't look like the guy or the quitter or whatever the media want to call me. I knew what was going on, and I just decided to (say)… 'Hey, I'm not built for this. I don't want to deal with that. I want to play basketball and have fun.'"
Harden requested a trade from the Nets before last season's trade deadline. Brooklyn dealt the former MVP to Philadelphia for a package including Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks. The Nets had Harden on their roster for just over a year after acquiring him from the Houston Rockets.
Brooklyn parted ways with both of their stars earlier this February, sending Irving to the Dallas Mavericks for a package including former Net Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, and a first-round pick. The franchise dealt Durant to the Phoenix Suns a few days later for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and four first-round picks.
The Nets' Big Three only played 16 games together, going 13-3 over that stretch. Brooklyn made it to the second round of the 2021 playoffs with all three on the roster, but Harden and Irving only played four games apiece during that round.
"It's a lot of what-ifs, I think, when you play less than 20 games together," Harden said. "So it's a little bit frustrating, but it is what it is. Hopefully, everybody's in a good place now and we can move on."
Despite the frustrating end to his Nets tenure, Harden said he's glad he teamed up with Durant and Irving.
"It was a lot, but I enjoyed my time obviously playing with KD and Kyrie for those games. There's a lot of possibilities of what could've happened. But it's part of life. Move on, and I'm sure … everybody's in a better place, a good place."
Harden scored 29 points in the Sixers' 101-98 victory Saturday.