James Harden Thrilled to Put Drama-Filled Past Behind Him

James Harden looks forward to having a fresh start on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics will battle it out for their 2022-2023 season opener. It will mark the first matchup James Harden will begin a full season with the Sixers.

Last year, Harden joined the 76ers via trade. In a February blockbuster, the Brooklyn Nets swapped out Harden for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, and Andre Drummond. The Sixers became the third franchise Harden would play for in a matter of fewer than two years.

No one could’ve guessed Harden would grow disgruntled in Brooklyn after he got a fresh start with the Nets following an ugly breakup with the Houston Rockets. As Harden linked up with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, it seemed the trio would compete together for years to come.

The honeymoon phase in Brooklyn ended rather quickly, as Harden lasted just 80 games with the Nets. “These last two years, it was a lot of drama,” Harden admitted. “A lot of negative energy, which I don’t really like too much. Whether it’s me getting out of Houston or what happened last year going into the season from last year, it was just a lot.”

Harden technically got a fresh start with the Sixers last year, but his debut came so late in the year that he only had the opportunity to compete in 21 games. Throughout the final stretch of the 2021-2022 regular season, Harden was learning on the fly while battling a hamstring injury.

Although the Sixers managed to make it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, they came up short in six games to the first-seeded Miami Heat. Harden looked forward to having an opportunity to avoid months of rehab and build a better connection with his Sixers teammates.

Now, going into the season opener on the road against the Boston Celtics, Harden feels relieved about his current situation.

“It’s just fresh, it’s a relief, it’s like… Let’s just go hoop," he finished. "Let’s just go hoop and just put it all together. So tomorrow is gonna be a really good start for us.”

Harden and the Sixers will tip off against the Celtics at 7:30 PM ET. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.