Meanwhile, not many people are happy with Harden for forcing his way out of the second team in two years. However, he has always taken a liking to the Sixers, even before he joined the Brooklyn Nets halfway through the 2020-21 NBA season.
In the eyes of many, it is championship or bust for the Sixers. Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith also believes anything less than a Finals appearance will not cut it. Speaking on First take, the TV personality was asked what is at stake for Harden now that he is in Philly, and Stephen A. responded:
Stephen A. proceeded to list some of his scoring achievements and also pointed out how he is regarded as one of the greatest offensive players in league history, he continued:
After pointing out the great players on the team and how Allen Iverson led the Sixers to a Finals appearance, he concluded with a message to Harden"
The Sixers have made several attempts to win a championship in the 21st century but have not had much success. After winning the NBA title in 1983, the last time they made the Finals was in 2001, led by Allen Iverson.
James Harden will make his Sixers debut against Minnesota Timberwolves
Harden will make his first appearance against the Minnesota Timberwolves and give the Philly fans a first look at how well he and Embiid will play together. He was traded to the Sixers for Ben Simmons on deadline day but has since been sidelined due to a hamstring injury. The three-time scoring champ also missed the All-Star game for the same reason.
Even before playing a game for the Sixers, his influence is already being felt in the team. He helped Embiid perfect his step-back three, and the versatile big man hit a few in the game leading up to the All-Star break.
With Harden, the Sixers have a legitimate chance of advancing from the East. However, they have a lot of work to do leading up to the playoffs to achieve that.
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