- Harden played for the Los Angeles Clippers for the first time this season
- He was greeted by a fan who mimicked Harden’s signature beard
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James Harden took the court at Madison Square Garden – a familiar spot for him after playing with the rival Brooklyn Nets across the river from Manhattan.
Harden, now with the Los Angeles Clippers, played his first game with his new team – the fifth of his career.
Just before he took the stage for the first time as a starter, he locked eyes with a fan wearing a fake beard similar to Harden’s.
Coming into the game, Harden showed how happy he was to be with his new team.
The former MVP dished out fancy passes for assists and knocked back his first shot as a Clipper.
A fan wore a fake beard during James Harden’s debut with the Los Angeles Clippers
However, Harden’s big night in New York ended in disappointment as he suffered a loss in his debut for the Clippers.
The former Sixers star played 31 minutes and led the Clippers with six assists. He had a good third quarter as he set up Leonard’s fast break layup midway through the quarter and hit a long 3-pointer near the end of the quarter, and the score was tied until the fourth quarter.
Harden was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Clippers just last week in a deal that included multiple players and draft picks.
In his opening press conference, Harden said he envisioned retiring from the Sixers but felt the team’s leadership wasn’t interested in keeping him.
“I mean, the front office had other plans. “You know, they didn’t want me,” Harden said.
“And it’s so simple, so – and it’s more detailed, more, you know, that I can’t talk about.”
Harden played his first game with the California-based team after moving from Philadelphia
“But there are a lot of narratives, and I don’t have social media, but there are a lot of narratives, and people talk, people think they have an opinion or a voice, and other people listen to it.” But none of it is true .
“I’m not the type of person to talk back and forth or explain myself because you’re always going to take something out of what I say and turn it into a different story.”
“To put it briefly: I’m glad I’m here. I’m looking forward to being able to show how good each individual and how good this team can be. And that will be the case.’