BTW - This is all James fault, but James is this way because of Morey - he built James....into the entitled little b**** he is today. DD
Truth is there isn’t a max market for him anymore. The guy is past his prime and he seems to be the last to know. That opt in is his last major money option. I’d be shocked if he ever saw another mega deal.
Moreys issues has always been treating players like assets while also giving his stars too much freedom and say in an organization. Harden went from being the latter and now he's the former
He can get both, Morey fired and banned from NBA (he basically admitting Morey tampered) while still demanding a trade. I think that's what he wants, he needs that revenge payback gratification.
I’m guessing Morey told him they’d move him, or maybe they’d “try their best” to move him. James opted in. Now he’s seeing it isn’t likely to happen anytime soon, and he’s mad he didn’t opt out and risk a lower contract offer to get to the team he wanted. I haven’t looked, could the Clips have offered him much as a UFA? Can’t imagine they could with Paul and Kawhi. I can understand the frustration but good lord is this a bad look for Harden. Professional athletes really do need to understand they can’t have their cake and eat it too. You signed the contract. You are beholden to that team. I don’t care what anyone says, it’s immoral to renege on that agreement because you want to play somewhere else. That’s why we have free agency. YOU as a player have to decide if you’re willing to risk not having a guaranteed contract so that you can become a UFA. You can’t pretend to be under contract and then publicly blast your employer because he won’t send you to your preferred destination at a loss for the team. The league needs to do something about this. I wish Elon Musk was the owner. He clearly has no problem blowing 40B to make a point. He could buy multiple franchises (obviously not allowed) and choose to ruin the career of a whiny player by burying them on the bench or on the couch. What’s 36M to a guy that spends 40B on a platform and then proceeds to pretty much allow it to implode. I wish, kind of, someone would do that with the NFL. You signed a contract. Honor that contract. You want out? Do it behind the scenes. The moment you take it public, is the moment I lose all respect for you as a person. These guys aren’t being taken advantage of. They’re making tens of millions to play a sport. Their only complaint is they can’t have the glory of winning or the fancy location they want to play. Too bad. So sad. GROW THE F UP! /millennial boomer
posted this in the other NBA Dish thread: Kevin McHale was driving around and called into NBA Sirius XM radio to give his two cents. Basically said that Morey and Harden were like Brangelina...the love affair is over. He feels terrible /s. LMAO. I'm paraphrasing here: Said he never did the little things (i.e. dirty work) to win a championship like ball distribution, being a great team defender, etc. He could do it, he just didn't want to do it. Blamed Morey for letting him slide for a lot of stuff and it has come back to bite him. He was at odds with Harden and Morey because of this issue. Morey was analytically driven and never demanded that James did the little things required of a top guy to win a championship. For example, James never in a team huddle would say that he would defend the other team's hot guy to shut him down. He was just content to score a lot. Said James' passing ability is elite. You can't teach that. The problem is that all the things you can teach him, he didn't want to do it. Said in the playoffs, teams are good at taking away your first option, it's hard to take away your second and third option. Your top guy when he doesn't have the ball, can't stand around...he has to be cutting and moving. Said that Doc tried to get him to play this way and that's why Doc got fired.
What did Morey lie about exactly? Did Harden claim he guaranteed he’d trade him? Or did Morey say he’d work to trade him and Clippers, knowing Harden was demanding he go there, knew they didn’t have to offer much and basically tried to steal Harden from the 76ers?
Yep, McHale got fired for asking James to play defense...that was one of the first dominoes to fall.....and that is Morey's fault. DD
I didn't like how Harden called McHale a clown after he got fired. McHale is a 3x championship-winning hall of fame player. Was one of the best and played with the best, and you reject what he's telling you to do. That says a lot about how arrogant Harden is. It's why he'll never be a champion.
James is (basketball wise) too old for the fat suit. Get in shape, be in shape, stay in shape. Look towards another Rockets Legend™: Maybe pull a Ben Simmons. “I got a back injury.” “My hamstring(s).” “My mental health.” (although I’m not sure what changed in the new CBA regarding any of this).
