The Philadelphia 76ers are 15-12 in the 2022-23 season, which is third in the Atlantic Division and fifth in the Eastern Conference. Philly is 6-4 in their last ten games and is on a three game hitting streak. Injuries have played a major role in a third of the NBA season. Their three biggest stars, Joel Embiid, James, Harden and Tyrese Maxey, all missed a few games or more. Ten-time All-Star James Harden was emotional and brutally honest about his tough times in a recent interview.
Harden has played the first nine games in a row this season and has been helping to dominate the Sixers’ offense. He then missed the next 14 games due to injury and returned well. What’s most troubling is the one thing missing from his impressive career: a championship. The 2017-18 league MVP explained how tough the last few playoff games have been.
NBA betting sites have the 76ers at (+2500) to win the Finals this season.
Joel Embiid and James Harden are working on the 3-point jumper. #Six people pic.twitter.com/89e29Pwfmw
— Kay Carlin (@ky_carlin) December 15, 2022
In the interview, Harden feels about the ‘low point’ in his career.
In an interview with Fox Sports, Harden said that not achieving his biggest goal of winning an NBA championship left him feeling “defeated” and “withered.” He called it an unequivocal “low point” in his life.
“The whole two years were low points. I have never faced anything like this. My body, mental, physical… it was a lot. I mean, basketball is everything to me” – James Harden
A hamstring injury made Harden no longer the explosive player he once was. That forced Harden to turn his game into a facilitator at times, and he did an amazing job of doing so. A guy who leads the league in scoring three times can’t have his PG up any time soon. He made one playoff appearance in his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder and hasn’t returned since. Harden may fear becoming one of the all-time greats to never win a ring.
