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James Harden Chooses Sixers Jersey Number

Sometime soon, the Philadelphia 76ers will have two new additions to the roster taking the court. All week long, the Sixers have been working on making a trade,

Justin Grasso

James Harden Chooses Sixers Jersey Number
James Harden Chooses Sixers Jersey Number /

Sometime soon, the Philadelphia 76ers will have two new additions to the roster taking the court. All week long, the Sixers have been working on making a trade, specifically for a multi-time All-Star in James Harden.

Although Daryl Morey received a firm no from the Brooklyn Nets when he inquired about Harden's availability last month, a lot has transpired since then. 

Harden grew disgruntled, and the Nets couldn't win. In the midst of a ten-game losing streak, Harden reached a point of no return. 

And as the Sixers held a disgruntled All-Star of their own, it made sense for the Sixers and the Nets to engage in a trade and swap stars. The Sixers had to give up a little more, considering they were getting the more renowned star in the trade.

Therefore, Philadelphia sent Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and several draft picks to Brooklyn along with Ben Simmons.

In addition to acquiring Harden in the deal, the Sixers also landed the veteran power forward/center Paul Millsap. 

What Number Will Harden Rock?

Unlike some other stars in the NBA, Harden didn't leave a number of his exclusive to one franchise. When he got his start in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden wore No. 13. After landing with the Houston Rockets, he donned the same number. 

It would've been understandable for Harden to keep No. 13 in Houston and change numbers after getting traded to the Brooklyn Nets, but he didn't. However, for the first time in his professional career, Harden will have to make a change. 

With the number 13 retired in Philadelphia because of the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, Harden will don No. 1. The number was previously worn by the veteran big man Andre Drummond, who was included in the trade.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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