Why did James Harden stop talking to Joel Embiid?
Unfortunately, according to Embiid, it sounds like Harden might have blamed the big man for Philadelphia giving up on him.
In a new profile from ESPN's Dotun Akintoye, while also dispelling his "playoff dropper" narrative, Embiid made the heartbreaking claim that Harden has apparently cut him off. It's not clear exactly when they stopped talking, but it's probably safe to assume that it happened around exactly when Harden was dealt in early November 2023. All of this is, of course, Embiid's assumption and timeline.
Given how close Embiid and Harden appeared to be during their time in Philadelphia, this reality unsurprisingly stings the former MVP center:
"No one knows this, but even James [Harden] is not talking to me," Embiid tells me. "That's the part I don't like about being 'that guy,' because it puts you in the middle of those situations. Because if you ask James, he probably believes I had something to do with him not being here. And I'm just like, 'I won the scoring title. You won the assists title. We had a pick-and-roll that was unstoppable.'"
"It hurts when you feel like you haven't done anything wrong," he continues. "When you think you have a relationship like that with somebody ... you lose a lot."
Man, that's so tough to hear. Sure, Harden went across the country to another team in another conference after he started to get settled in Philadelphia. And yes, we might not have Harden's side of the story. But if Embiid's account is true, it seems pretty unfair for Harden to blame all of that happening on someone he used to be so close with. Usually, you give people close to you more grace than that.
Alas, sometimes that's life. You don't get to choose who walks in or out.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lakers' Bronny James has Luka Doncic to blame for unfavorable free agency news
Things appeared to be lining up well for 20-year-old Los Angeles Lakers guard Bronny James. The USC product was a solid performer in the Summer League and was believed to be primed for a more productive sophomore NBA campaign following a relatively unproductive rookie season (he averaged 2.3 points per game in 6.7 minutes of action). However, on Saturday, ESPN's Shams Charania announced that former Boston Celtics guard and Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, will sign with the Lakers once Los Angeles makes ample room for him, negatively impacting James' chances of earning minutes next season. Based on a recent report made by the Athletic's Dan Woike, James has Luka Doncic to blame for the unfavorable free agency news. "Doncic, according to league sources, had communicated his desires for a capable rim-running center, shooting help and defensive support," Woike stated. "The Lakers responded by filling those needs with Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia and, soon, Marcus Smart." "In addition to that, league sources said, Doncic has been an active recruiter for the Lakers this summer and helped secure commitments from Ayton and Smart after both unexpectedly hit free agency via contract buyouts.' Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp While Doncic is undoubtedly pleased with the Lakers' current state, James likely wishes the organization hadn't made any additional roster moves after landing Ayton and LaRavia. Smart is the perfect win-now backcourt asset for the Lakers. The 31-year-old is a defensive mastermind who offers enough offensive production to be regarded as an impactful two-way asset. The Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals five times under Smart's leadership at the point guard position, and nearly captured an NBA championship in 2022. The Oklahoma State product averaged 11.5 points, 6.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game during his final season with the Celtics (2022-23), shooting 41.5% from the field and 33.6% from deep. Without Smart in the fold, James' stiffest bench competition would have been Gabe Vincent, who's struggled to find his way in a Lakers uniform. However, now that all signs point to Los Angeles including Vincent in a consolidation trade to clear space for a more valuable asset in Smart, it's safe to say James' odds of solidifying a refined role under JJ Redick in Year 2 have taken a massive hit. Granted, continuing to develop in the G-League would help the former McDonald's All-American expand his offensive arsenal and increase his comfort as a playmaker. Still, there's no denying that the eventual addition of Smart, thanks to Doncic's recruitment chops, will make it challenging for James to make noise with the Lakers during the 2025-26 season. More NBA:
USA Today
39 minutes ago
- USA Today
Brooklyn Nets jersey history No. 21 - Eric Floyd (1982-83)
The Brooklyn Nets have 52 jersey numbers worn by over 600 different players over the course of their history since the franchise was founded in 1967 as a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA), when the team was known as the "New Jersey Americans". Since then, that league has been absorbed by the NBA with the team that would later become the New York Nets and New Jersey Nets before settling on the name by which they are known today, bringing their rich player and jersey history with them to the league of today. To commemorate the players who played for the Nets over the decades wearing those 52 different jersey numbers, Nets Wire is covering the entire history of the franchise's jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. The 22nd of those 52 different numbers is jersey No. 21, which has has had a total of 26 players wear the number in the history of the team. The eighth of those players wearing No. 21 played in the (then) New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets era, guard alum Eric Floyd. After ending his college career at Georgetown, Floyd was picked up with the 13th overall selection of the 1982 NBA Draft by the Nets. It was the first of two stints with New Jersey, with the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and San Antonio Spurs in between the start of his second stint in 1994, his last in the NBA. During his time suiting up for the Nets, Floyd wore only jersey Nos. 21 and 12 and put up 4.6 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
USA Today
39 minutes ago
- USA Today
Golden State Warriors jersey history - No. 18 - Omri Casspi (2017-18)
The Golden State Warriors have had over 600 players don the more than 60 jersey numbers used by their players over the more than 75 years of existence the team has enjoyed in its rich and storied history. Founded in 1946 during the Basketball Association of America (BAA -- a precursor league of the NBA) era, the team has called home the cities of Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, and even San Diego. To commemorate the players who wore those numbers, Warriors Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who sported them since the founding of the team. For this article, we begin with the 15th of 16 players who wore the No. 18 jersey for the Warriors. That player would be Golden State forward alum Omri Casspi. After starting his pro career abroad, Casspi was picked up with the 23rd overall selection of the 2009 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings. The Holon, Israel native would play the first two seasons of his pro career with the Kings. He would also play for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Kings again, New Orleans Pelicans, and Minnesota Timberwolves before signing with the Dubs in 2017. His stay with the team would span a single season, coming to an end when he was cut in 2018. During his time suiting up for the Warriors, Casspi wore only jersey No. 18 and put up 5.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
