James Harden expresses desire to play in China – as he receives a warning he ‘could be out of the NBA soon’
- NBA superstar warned he ‘could lose everything’ in stand-off with Philadelphia 76ers, with move to China ‘not as easy as fans would think’
- ‘I feel like they deserve to actually see me come play [in China],’ Harden says during a promotional visit – ‘the love is always crazy here’
James Harden has been warned he could be “out of the NBA soon” if he continues his stand-off with the Philadelphia 76ers – which could help facilitate his desire to play in China, though several hurdles would have to be overcome.
The 33-year-old former MVP continued to make waves with his promotional trip to China, after calling 76ers president Daryl Morey a “liar” and insisting he will not play again for the franchise.
His comments drew applause from gathered media in Beijing – and the NBA superstar has now expressed interest in one day switching to the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), as he looks for a way off his team.
“Every time I come here, the love is just like … it’s crazy, you know what I mean?” he said during his visit. “So I feel like they deserve to actually see me come play here. … Love is always crazy here.”
However, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that it “might not be as easy as Chinese fans would like” if Harden is not traded to another NBA team soon, and continues his stand-off with Morey.
“According to the collective bargaining agreement,” the Inquirer wrote, “any player who ‘withholds playing services for more than 30 days after the start of the last season covered by his contract’ could be deemed to have violated his contract and forbidden from entering free agency and signing with another professional team until the team he last played for ‘expressly agrees otherwise’.”