The destructive career of NBA superstar James Harden
Life in Los Angeles couldn't have started much worse for James Harden, who has lost his first four games in a Clipper uniform after a destructive end to his career in Philadelphia.
The Clippers lost to the previous 1-8 Memphis Grizzlies 105-101, with Harden only managing 11 points, four rebounds, and three assists in a team stacked with world-class talent.
According to @clutchpoints on X, Clippers coach Ty Lue said: "He's doing too much to try and fit in. He needs to be James Harden. We have to allow him to be himself. We are going to play through James."
Harden joined the Los Angeles Clippers after falling out with Philadelphia 76ers general manager Daryl Morey, calling him a 'Liar' in a viral rant at his training camp in China.
In a further attack on the Sixers front office, Harden claimed that Philadelphia wanted him to play in a system. He said: "I'm not a system player, I'm the system." According to his welcoming news conference with the Clippers.
In the first four games he has played for the Clippers under the new 'James Harden system,' The Clippers are 0-4, with the team having a -67 efficiency rating when he is on the floor compared to +24 when he is off it.
Before the Clippers played the Dallas Mavericks last week, Mavs broadcaster Brian Dameris made a shocking two-minute attack on Bally Sports, saying: "You're not the beard, you're not the system, you're the problem."
Picture – YouTube @FoxSportsAus
His rant was met with an overhaul of positive feedback from basketball fans, with the rant fairly summing up Harden's career in the last few years.
Dameris spoke on Harden's time with the Houston Rockets, claiming that Daryl Morey did everything Harden asked of him, bringing in his own players and manager and changing the schedule to fit it around him.
Houston brought in Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, and Russell Westbrook over his tenure at the Rockets and forced them all to leave in different trade packages, but they never got past the Western Conference Finals.
According to sports.yahoo.com, Harden would be permitted to take a private jet to Las Vegas parties between games and was allowed to turn up to training late.
Before requesting a trade to the 'bright lights of New York,' Harden said: "I love this city. I've done everything that I can. I mean, this situation, it's crazy. It's something that I don't think can be fixed, so, yes, thanks."
Harden had got what he had wanted and joined Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets. In Brooklyn, it went from bad to worse.
Harden spent just one full season in Brooklyn, with all three superstars missing games due to injury and Irving's issues with the vaccine. The 'Big Three' played 16 games together in over a year of all three being signed to the Nets.
Harden realized he had made a mistake by leaving Daryl Morey at the Houston Rockets and teamed up with him again in Philadelphia after requesting another trade away from Brooklyn.
The former MVP linked up with current MVP Joel Embiid and complained the team didn't fit around him. They sacked Doc Rivers because the two didn't get along, but that wasn't enough for Harden, who fell out with Morey over another trade deal.
Harden scored nine points in game seven of the Eastern Conference semi-finals against the Boston Celtics, but complained the Sixers wouldn't offer him a max contract. He is now in LA and so far, it doesn't look too good for 'The Beard.'