Breakups are never easy. This is especially true when it comes to professional athletes and the cities and organizations where they’ve built a life and a career over a number of years. There’s a great deal of emotion tied up in it all, even if all the parties involved try to abide by the mantra that sports is, first and foremost, a business.
James Harden’s exit from the Houston Rockets this season was particularly ugly. Only some of that is his fault. He’d made his trade demands known to the organization, yet in doing their due diligence, it prolonged the inevitable and led to a seriously uncomfortable situation that spilled out onto the court and into the locker room.
By the time Harden had reached his breaking point, he’d already effectively alienated some teammates, who weren’t shy about voicing their frustration with the disgruntled star. Now that all of that is over, Harden has expressed remorse about how things were handled, telling Rachel Nichols of The Jump that he meant no disrespect toward his teammates, the organization, or the fans.
James Harden sits down & opens up about his new role in Brooklyn, what he didn’t like about his departure from Houston, and the Nets’ championship chances: “We’re more than confident that it’s going to be difficult for a team to beat us four times in a best-of-seven series.” pic.twitter.com/rZKkwFs1jg
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 12, 2021
Harden’s full attention is now turned toward the enormous expectations in Brooklyn, where his new team will try to exert their power over their Eastern Conference counterparts. The trio of Harden, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant has shown tantalizing previews of what they’re capable of offensively, although the defensive end has left something to be desired. Still, at this point, both the Harden and the Rockets should be ready to move on and focus on their respective futures.