James Harden Puts in Extra Work Following Sixers' Win Over Bulls

When the Philadelphia 76ers took on the Miami Heat this past Saturday night, they missed their ten-time All-Star guard James Harden. Considering Harden’s been

When the Philadelphia 76ers took on the Miami Heat this past Saturday night, they missed their ten-time All-Star guard James Harden. Considering Harden’s been battling hamstring tightness since before he was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to Philadelphia, the 76ers have been extremely cautious with his health.

In the first four games following the trade, Harden remained off the floor. And instead of playing in the 2022 NBA All-Star game, Harden continued to rest. 

When the Sixers returned to the court following the break, Harden finally made his debut against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He also appeared in the two matchups against the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers matchup last Friday.

Through four games, Harden averaged 36 minutes on the floor. He remained healthy and consistently made it clear his hamstring was feeling fine during that time. However, the Sixers issued the star guard a planned night of rest anyway.

After the Sixers dropped Saturday’s game against the Heat with a 17-point loss, they returned to the floor at home on Monday night to host the Chicago Bulls. As expected, Harden was back in the Sixers’ starting lineup. 

On Monday night, Harden turned in a 38-minute shift in Philadelphia’s dominant win over the Bulls. The star guard shot 5-15 from the field and collected 16 points. In addition, he grabbed eight rebounds and created 14 assists.

Despite checking in for nearly 40 minutes on Monday night — Harden felt he needed to put some extra work in. When he addressed the media following the game, he revealed that he did some additional conditioning following the victory.

Right after the Sixers handled the Bulls, James Harden was spotted back out in the bowl at the Wells Fargo Center running stadium stairs 👀 pic.twitter.com/5HVSim3E89

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 8, 2022

“I’m still tired from the game,” he joked. “Nah, I just ran the bleachers, actually. I just ran the stairs up in the arena. I’m trying to get some extra conditioning and extra work in. Just making sure my body is strong. I’m back to how I normally would feel. So, just the work that I put in, it doesn’t change. I put the work in, and I live with the results. Tonight was just another day at the office for me.”

For a seasoned veteran like Harden, he doesn’t have much left to prove in the NBA. As a current All-Star and a former MVP, Harden has accomplished more than most in the league. But as he’s striving to be even better as a player, Harden feels he needs to continue to put in extra work even in year 14. 

“If I don’t do it, then I wouldn’t be as good as I am,” Harden finished. “It’s simple.” 

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