Exactly 13 months after James Harden confirmed in his introductory news conference with the Brooklyn Nets that "they were on the top of my list" and the Houston Rockets helped him facilitate his preference, the 10-time NBA All-Star told reporters upon joining the Philadelphia 76ers, "Philly was my first choice."
Harden reported to training camp out of shape in 2020, and nine games into last season declared his Rockets "not good enough." His Houston teammates publicly described his behavior as disrespectful. That did not stop him from dubbing himself "an elite teammate" and "elite leader" upon first arriving in Brooklyn.