LeBron James Did Get More Credit Than James Harden For Taking Less Money When Joining The Miami Heat

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Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden is 100 percent right.
Not that he is making a big deal about it but Harden recently said he hasn't received much attention for taking less money so he could better compete for a championship. This wasn't Harden complaining. He was simply answering a question during an interview with Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
Harden was brutally honest.
"Nope, but guess what? I don’t care. There’s like a stereotype (of Harden) where people always want to talk. People don’t really know me, so they feel like they can just say anything. One thing I won’t do is give them any attention. I won’t say anything, media-wise, publicly. I don’t care, because I’m comfortable and I’m confident in the things I do on and off the court."
Harden declined a $47.4-million player option during free agency. Instead, he took a two-year, $68.6-million deal, which equals a $14-million pay cut. When LeBron James joined the Miami Heat in 2010, he left $15 million on the table so he could play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
James was so applauded for the move it almost drowned out those who were criticizing him for orchestrating a "super team." James eventually received a max contract when he refused to play for less again in Miami and signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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Shandel Richardson is the Miami Heat writer for Inside The Heat. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA.

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel. He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star. TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here