James Harden somehow managed to follow up one controversial quote with an even more controversial quote.
Harden met with the media on Thursday for his introductory press conference with the Los Angeles Clippers — the team that acquired him in a big trade with the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday night.
Harden spent the last season and a half with Philly after being traded by the Nets at his request prior to the 2021-2022 NBA trade deadline. Harden had spent all offseason trying to force a trade out of Philly, and he was finally granted his request this week.
During his introductory press conference, Harden complained that the Sixers had him “on a leash.”
That controversial quote drew attention and led to a followup question asking what he meant by that.
Harden then gave another quote that has since gone viral.
“I’m not a system player. I am a system,” Harden asserted.
“I’m not a system player, I am a system.”
~ James Harden pic.twitter.com/LNAsv8S05j
— Josh Reynolds (@JoshReynolds24) November 2, 2023
Harden had a much longer answer that tried to explain what he meant by saying he was “on a leash.”
“I think the game and I’m a creator on the court,” Harden said. “So if I got a voice to where I can, ‘Hey, Coach, I see this. What you think about this?’ Somebody that trusts me, that believes in me, that understands me. I’m not a system player. I am a system. You know what I mean?
“So somebody that can have that dialogue with me, understand, move forward, figure out and make adjustments on the fly throughout the course of games, that’s all I really care about. It’s not about me scoring a basketball, scoring 34 points; I’ve done that already.”
James Harden on what he meant when he said Sixers had him on a leash:
“I think the game and I'm a creator on the court… [Need] somebody that trusts me, that believes in me, that understands me, that I'm not a system player. I am a system.”pic.twitter.com/gN8PtbwH7N
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) November 2, 2023
Harden seems to be seeking a coach who will respect him and let him do his thing. He wasn’t able to do that under Doc Rivers with the Sixers.
But to confidently say that he is not a system player but rather a system? That just shows Harden’s cockiness.
At 28 or 29 years old when he was leading the Houston Rockets and winning scoring titles, Harden certainly was a system. At 34 years old and now on his 4th team in 4 years, Harden better figure out how to fit in the system.
