May 7, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (1) against the Boston Celtics during game four of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
NBA: Playoffs-Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers
(Philadelphia, PA) – It’s not always easy to catch a flight these days.
Sometimes, you can’t even get on the plane. That’s exactly what happened to Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden – although it had nothing to do with pilot shortages, damaged equipment, or bad weather.
According to Chris Haynes of the Bleacher Report, 76ers team security barred Harden from getting on the team plane when he showed up for the flight to Milwaukee earlier this week.
This follows the protracted saga that unfolded this offseason, in which Harden demanded a trade, and then refused to report for team training camp.
Haynes says Harden was “stopped by a security official who notified him that he was not permitted to accompany the team.” He went on to report that 76ers head coach Nick Nurse and GM Elton Brand had put forth a plan in which Harden would hang back at the team’s practice facility. From there, the team could monitor Harden’s “measurables and speed with their tracking system.”
Haynes says Harden’s reaction was one of “frustration,” though he then chose not to escalate the situation.
