Troubling new photos of James Harden seemingly out clubbing have emerged.
On Sunday, new Houston Rockets head coach Stephen Silas said that Harden was absent from the team’s first practice of training camp because of the NBA’s COVID-19 protocols.
Silas also confirmed that although he had no recent communication with the Rockets’ superstar, management was under the impression that Harden would report to camp soon.
While the COVID-19 protocol excuse did make some degree of sense at the time, it was essentially blown up early Monday morning when photos emerged of Harden apparently continuing to go out clubbing in Las Vegas. He does not seem to be wearing a face mask in any of the photos.
It appears James Harden was still partying in Las Vegas last night, this time at Drai’s Nightclub.
Harden reportedly missed both a team team practice and an individual workout on Sunday, though the Rockets expect him soon.
As usual, more video below.
(PC: cbodadon on IG) pic.twitter.com/eQ8PUsLvW2
— Alec Sturm (@alec_sturm) December 7, 2020
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— Alec Sturm (@alec_sturm) December 7, 2020
The photos are similar to the ones that emerged a few days ago from Lil Baby’s birthday party, where Harden was a star guest.
Harden is in the midst of a standoff with the Rockets. He wants to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, but the organization is refusing to oblige. Houston recently traded Russell Westbrook for John Wall, and hopes that he and Harden will be able to achieve the sort of success that ultimately proved elusive last season.
Alabama went after Coach O hard after the game. https://t.co/SUduHNyY5I
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 6, 2020
“I’m not exactly sure what hoops he has to jump through in order to practice with the team,” Silas said on Sunday.
“I would just say I want him here, and I want him to be a big part of what we’re doing. I’m excited to coach him and have him be a part of what we just had out there with a good practice, with a bunch of guys who are working hard on both ends of the floor and had a good vibe about them.”
When asked about Harden’s long-term commitment to the organization, Silas evaded the question.
Imagine breaking into a house thinking you’re gonna find Kylie Jenner and finding a 6’6”, 220-pound NBA star instead.https://t.co/ZRN9T2pjYM
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 5, 2020
“That’s a question you’re going to have to ask him when he gets here,” he said.
“We’re looking forward to having him here and getting to his individual workout. That’s the word I heard from the pipeline. Once he gets here, obviously the best communication for me would be face-to-face communication — not text, not phone, not anything else.
“I’m looking forward to him getting here, getting in the building, and then we can talk about what’s best. But you know, that’s kind of a work in progress right now.”
Yikes Scottie. https://t.co/OfGjnOyWpP
— Game 7 (@game7__) December 3, 2020
Wall, for his part, believes Harden will join the Rockets sooner rather than later.
“We’re going to figure out what’s the best decision [regarding] when he wants to get here and be here,” he said. “We’ve been on the same page since I’ve been traded here.”
How will this situation ultimately play out? Time will tell.
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A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
