The 76ers gave James Harden an unexpected olive branch on Saturday.
The team tweeted “happy birthday @JHarden13” for the 10-time All-Star guard, who was recently fined $100,000 by the NBA for his public comments made while on at a press event with Adidas in China
He called the team’s president Daryl Morey a “liar” and said he “will never be a part of an organization that [Morey’s] a part of.”
Harden, newly 34, told league investigators that the “liar” comment stems from a promise Morey made to him of the Sixers trading him “quickly” after he decided to opt in on his contract in 2023-24.
Some fans are wondering if the tweet was published by an admin or was prescheduled by the team months ago.
Others have resorted to laughter among disbelief, memes, GIFS, and video reactions.
One user said: “Nah this is actually the funniest thing this franchise has ever done.”
Another tweeted: “We are gluttons for punishment.”
Days after making the comments about Morey, Harden was asked in an interview with KHOU 11 in Houston if it’s “too late to repair the relationship” with the team.
He said, “I think so.”
He is after a long-term max deal and requested a trade after opting into his contract for next season, but no deal emerged from his reportedly preferred destination — the Clippers.
The Sixers and Morey, who previously worked with Harden in Houston, have revealed their desire to keep the 2018 MVP and have him join the rest of the team at training camp.
However, Harden expressed he has no interest in taking part in training camp with Philadelphia.
Harden is known for his awkward exits from the Rockets and the Nets, and he was brought to Philly in 2021 with the hope of increasing the team’s chances of winning an NBA championship while paired up with 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid.
However, the team lost another Eastern Conference Semifinal series this past season, and Harden’s drop in output contributed to that.
He averaged 21.0 points and led the league with 10.7 assists per game in the regular season, yet those numbers fell to 20.3 and 8.3 in 11 playoff games, including four sub-15-point showings.