James Harden had all of his otherworldy skills on full display in Friday night's 76ers debut, hitting a stepback 4-point play, shooting 5-for-7 from downtown and logging 12 assists to finish as a game-high +35.
Harden's abilities have never been in doubt, even during his downtick in production with the Nets before being traded to Philadelphia hours before the deadline. If anything, it was Harden's reputation as a teammate that some may have questioned, as he asked his way out of Brooklyn just a year after doing the same with Houston.
Asked about his perception as a teammate, Harden said he feels he is among the best.
"I feel like I'm one of the best teammates the NBA has seen on the court and off the court," Harden said after the Sixers' blowout win. "Just because the current situation happened, whatever happened, happened, it doesn't mean that I'm a bad teammate."
Harden was reportedly frustrated with his role on the Nets, feeling the onus was all on him like it was with the Rockets, thanks in part to Kevin Durant's MCL injury and Kyrie Irving's part-time status due to being unvaccinated. Now, Harden has himself paired alongside another bonafide superstar in Joel Embiid, and the two were dominant in Friday's convincing win over the Timberwolves.
Now, settled in to where he wanted to be all along, Harden is ready to show himself as the quality teammate he feels he is, regardless of outside perception.
"For me, personally, I had to do what was best for my career and help myself be happy," Harden said.
