James Harden was the focus of a fascinating rumor that surfaced shortly before the start of the NBA’s Christmas Day slate.
The superstar guard was in no mood to talk about it before taking the Madison Square Garden floor, however.
About an hour before the 76ers and New York Knicks tipped off their matinee matchup, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Harden is “strongly considering” opting out of his contract this summer and rejoining the Houston Rockets. A reporter asked the 10-time All-Star about the rumor Sunday morning and Harden didn’t take kindly to it.
“Why would you ask me about that on Christmas, man?” Harden told the media, per The Philadelphia Inquirer. “You didn’t say Merry Christmas or nothing. You asked me about something that I ain’t even … I’m not answering. I didn’t see nothing.”
Harden, the 2018 NBA MVP, played the best basketball of his career across eight-plus seasons with the Rockets, but his Houston tenure ended on a sour note when he effectively forced his way out of town. But despite the messy exit, Harden reportedly has maintained a “magnetic pull” toward the Rockets, who potentially could view the 33-year-old as the leader of an exciting young core.
