76ers' Nurse on James Harden Trade: 'I Don't Know If Anybody Is Even Mad Anymore' | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
Ava Arnold The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, 121-107 win, and will face them again on Wednesday. The two meetings are the first time the team is seeing former point guard James Harden after he was traded to the Clippers, though it's apparently all water under the bridge at this point.
"It seems like it's been a long time—I don't know if anybody is even mad anymore," Sixers head coach Nick Nurse joked while speaking with Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
The general sentiment, however, seems to hold true.
"We didn't take it personal at all," Tyrese Maxey said of Harden's departure to the Clippers. "Even when James came to training camp, whenever he was there, he was nice to us, he was good."
Maxey said he still speaks with Harden and called him his "brother."
"James is a hell of a player and I'll always have a huge amount of respect for him," Tobias Harris added. "Playing with him here, it's good to see him playing in L.A., flourishing and playing his game and just ballin' out. It's all love and respect. He's a Hall of Fame player, and for me it was an honor being here, playing with him."
The Sixers have bigger concerns. The team is 39-32 and currently eighth in the Eastern Conference, which would mean dealing with the Play-In Tournament. The team is only a half-game behind the Indiana Pacers for the sixth seed in the East, however, with the hope that the potential return of superstar center Joel Embiid can spark a deep run in the playoffs.