James Harden’s Absence Is Already Leaving Fans Confused About NBA’s New Participation Rules
The latest twist in James Harden’s ongoing saga with the 76ers created a quite a distraction on Thursday ahead of the club’s season opener against the Bucks in Milwaukee.
The questions began after Philadelphia’s decision to reportedly send Harden, who’s been at odds with team brass all offseason, home just 24 hours after he returned to the team after a 10-day absence. Shortly thereafter, the NBA announced it would be “looking into” Harden’s absence to see if it violated the league’s new player participation policy.
Established in September, the policy requires NBA teams to submit an approved reason, i.e. injury or excused reasons, for sitting “star” players in order to maintain a competitive balance and promote player participation.
Harden isn’t injured—his absence instead stems from tension between himself and the team amid a potential trade. As the 76ers went to tip off their season, many fans were left confused as to what conclusion the NBA would come to in their investigation.
