James Harden says he wasn't just raging with Lil Baby and hitting Las Vegas hot spots while ditching Rockets training camp ... insisting he was really "training" to prepare for the upcoming season.
The 31-year-old superstar met with the media Wednesday for the first time since showing up to camp on Dec. 8 ... and was immediately hit with all the questions people have been wondering for weeks.
First ... does he still want to be traded out of Houston??
"Right now, I'm just focused on being here," Harden said.