Former Rockets MVP Harden Watching Messi In LA

Former Houston Rockets superstar James Harden was in attendance for Inter Miami's game against LAFC.

Former Houston Rockets star and current disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden was in attendance to watch Lionel Messi and Inter Miami CF take on LAFC. 

Inter Miami grabbed their first win in the MLS regular season since Messi joined the team, defeating LAFC, who is currently third in the Western Conference. He had two assists in the win, bringing his Inter Miami tally to 11 goals and five assists. Miami is currently 14th in the Eastern Conference and eight points out of a wild-card spot.

Harden was one of the many stars in attendance for Messi's first game in Los Angeles, joining names like LeBron James, Mookie Betts, Leonardo DiCaprio and Edward Norton. 

Currently, Harden is under contract with the 76ers after picking up his player option for $35.6 million during the 2023-24 season. However, he has expressed his desire to be traded from Philadelphia, even going so far as to call President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey a "liar" and say that he will "never be a part of an organization that he's a part of."

In 79 games over two seasons in Philadelphia, Harden has averaged 21.0 points per game, 10.6 assists per game and 6.4 rebounds per game. While those numbers are good, they are far from what they looked like during his time in Houston. 

Over nine seasons with the Rockets, Harden averaged 29.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 7.7 APG, even winning an MVP for his performance in the 2017-18 NBA season when he averaged 36.1 PPG.