Patrick Beverley Sends Message After James Harden's Comments
The James Harden saga took an interesting turn recently. On Saturday afternoon, it was reported that the Philadelphia 76ers were shutting down trade discussions with the Los Angeles Clippers and focused on bringing Harden back for the 2023-2024 NBA season.
A few hours after it became clear the Sixers would no longer discuss trades with Harden’s desired landing spot, it was reported that Harden doesn’t plan to attend training camp with the Sixers in preparation for next season.
For the most part, Harden hasn’t had much to say publicly regarding his thoughts. On Monday, that changed as the star guard didn’t hold back when discussing his current situation while out in China.
"Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said over the weekend. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”
To no surprise, Harden’s public message went viral, which caused a well-known Boston Celtics fan to rush to Twitter to claim that the Sixers’ 2023-2024 season was over before it even started.
“RIP [Sixers] season,” wrote Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy. “You had a good run.”
Recently-acquired Sixers guard Patrick Beverley, who frequently has Portnoy on his podcast as a guest, had a message for the Celtics fan on Monday.
“Naw chill,” Beverley responded. “Philly thrives in adversity.”
Beverley has yet to suit up for the Sixers, as he just signed with the franchise last month, but he’s fully embraced the city so far. This year, he seems hopeful the Sixers can thrive while dealing with adversity regarding Harden’s eventual holdout.
The 76ers are no stranger to trade controversy. Before landing Harden two seasons ago, they dealt with a similar situation with their three-time All-Star guard Ben Simmons. Following the 2021 playoff run, Simmons requested a trade. After the Sixers struggled to grant his wish early enough, Philly welcomed him back for training camp.
Simmons eventually joined the Sixers for practice after holding out for a bit. Although he re-joined the team, it was in a limited capacity. The former All-Star didn’t play a single minute for the 76ers during the 2021-2022 season. Months into his holdout, the Sixers found a conclusion when they traded for Harden.
Despite dealing with the Simmons drama and missing an All-Star ball-handler in 2021-2022, the Sixers remained one of the Eastern Conference’s top teams. They finished the regular season as the fourth seed heading into the postseason.
While dealing with drama throughout the season surely isn’t an ideal situation to be in, Joel Embiid and the Sixers have proven they won’t turn into a sinking ship even when an All-Star-caliber player is holding out from the team. While Beverley’s public attempt to lure James Harden back to the Sixers is proving to be unsuccessful so far, the veteran is confident the Sixers will remain on the right track.
