NBA: will James Harden return for Philadelphia 76ers after his ‘Daryl Morey is a liar’ comments in China?
- 76ers play third consecutive game of new season without Harden after the guard did not join the Sixers for opening-week road trip
- Harden, who has expressed interest in playing in China, called 76ers boss Morey a liar during a promotional visit to Beijing
James Harden has still yet to play for the Philadelphia 76ers in the new NBA season after sitting out his third consecutive game.
Harden’s absence against Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday was no surprise after the 10-time All-Star had missed his team’s previous outings in the wake of his off-season trade demand.
Officially, the Sixers say Harden needs to “ramp up” his conditioning before he can return to play. Harden has continued to practise with the Sixers and took part in Sunday’s film session and walk-through.
Chinese basketball fans took notice of his lack of action and posted encouragement on social media.
“I always believe in Harden’s ability,” one person wrote on China’s Twitter-like platform Weibo. “Last season, his three-point shooting percentage was still over 38 percentage points! I believe that Harden will dispel all doubts in the new season, play well for a year, put up the data and get a big contract next year.”
Another Chinese fan pointed out the spectators holding up a sign that read “Bring me Harden”.