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Philadelphia 76ers star big man Joel Embiid and James Harden created one of the best dynamic duos in the NBA when they were together.
But after almost two seasons together on the court, Embiid revealed he’s no longer on speaking terms with his former teammate.
“No one knows this, but even James [Harden] is not talking to me,” Embiid told ESPN in a lengthy interview. “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.’”
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Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (1) and center Joel Embiid (21) high-five after a score against the Memphis Grizzlies during the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. (Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports)
Embiid added, “It hurts when you feel like you haven’t done anything wrong. When you think you have a relationship like that with somebody … you lose a lot.”
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Harden joined the Sixers in 2022 after a bombshell trade with the Brooklyn Nets sent Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond and two first-round picks to the Big Apple. The Sixers were immediately considered championship contenders with Harden and Embiid.
However, Philadelphia lost early in the NBA Playoffs, falling in the conference semifinals in back-to-back seasons.
Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden, left, and center Joel Embiid before a game against the Chicago Bulls at Wells Fargo Center. (Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports)
Embiid won his only league MVP during the 2022-23 campaign, when he averaged 33.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Harden led the league in assists with 10.7 per game.
But after the team’s playoff run that season, Harden became publicly disgruntled with the 76ers, specifically president of basketball operations Daryl Morey. Harden believed he had earned a max contract from the team, and he requested a trade after Morey did not give him one.
Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (1) talks with center Joel Embiid (21) during a 2023 playoff game against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. (Wendell Cruz/USA Today Sports)
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It got uglier. Harden called Morey a “liar,” saying he would “never be a part of an organization that (Morey’s) a part of.”
Harden was then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
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