76ers: 3 Standout Quotes From James Harden’s SLAM Story
As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare for their run in the 2023 NBA Playoffs, the team’s ten-time All-Star guard James Harden graced the cover of SLAM magazine, giving the publication an in-depth look at what his approach to the game is like in year 14.
Throughout the 2022-2023 season, Harden has faced some ups and downs. Despite coming into the year fully healthy for the first time in two years, Harden suffered a notable setback during the team’s ninth game of the season, which resulted in a month-long absence.
And while Harden was more than willing to tweak his game on a team as the co-star to the MVP-caliber center Joel Embiid, major changes always take time to adjust.
Overall, Harden had a successful season in 2022-2023, but it wasn’t met with another notable accolade to add to his resume, which bothered the star guard.
1. The All-Star Snub
“The 2023 NBA All-Star Game reserves were just announced, and Harden, after 10 consecutive All-Star selections, was not chosen for this year’s festivities. And while other stars try to play it off cool and pretend not being selected doesn’t bother them, Harden isn’t holding back how he feels.
A few minutes later, he pulls out his phone, taps the Instagram icon and writes on his IG Story “The disrespect.” in white text on an all-black backdrop.
“I said it already, disrespectful!” Harden tells us of the All-Star snub. “Most of the people that understand basketball get my value, but some just get bored with my numbers.”
Harden worked on gaining his 11th straight trip to the All-Star game this season. Instead, he was widely regarded as one of the biggest snubs not only in the Eastern Conference but in the NBA as a whole.
Not only has Harden been the NBA’s assist leader throughout the year, but he still scored consistently, averaging 21 points per game while spending roughly 37 minutes on the court.
2. Mastered His Craft
Perhaps, the most notable quote from Harden’s cover story was about the guard’s opinion on where he’s at skills-wise in his career.
“I’m a master of this game. This is year 14 for me—I adjust to how teams are guarding us, and I pick and choose where to facilitate,” Harden tells SLAM. “My role on the Sixers is different from 2017. So yes, the approach is different, but I’m still the same player as 2017, my role just changed slightly.”
Any opposing coach or player has noticed the tweak in Harden’s game this season compared to past seasons. Whenever the Sixers face a team, Harden is usually complimented about the adjustments he’s made to his game to become more of a facilitator while still receiving the respect of an All-Star-caliber player.
Typically, players won’t admit to being a master of their craft as they claim to always see room for improvement. Harden, on the other hand, sees the game differently.
3. Greatest Milestone Yet To Be Achieved
With so much to highlight in his long, illustrious career, we asked Harden which accomplishment or milestone he’s proud of the most. But it’s a question he doesn’t have an answer for…yet.
“The one I want,” says Harden, “hasn’t happened yet, so let’s revisit when I win a championship.”
At this point, Harden’s a ten-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA First Team, two-time assists leader, three-time scoring champion, and a former NBA MVP. Last season, he was regarded as one of the NBA’s 75 best players to play the game.
There are plenty of accomplishments for Harden to be proud of, but he’s clearly focused on getting something he doesn’t already have.
This season, Harden mentioned that the 2022-2023 Sixers could be his best chance to win an NBA title. Therefore, he wants to hold off on highlighting his best accomplishment as he believes the best is yet to come.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
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