James Harden: 'Hell Yeah' 76ers Can Win Championship After Trade from Nets

Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden is confident that his new team can win the NBA Finals this season, responding "hell yeah!" to a reporter who asked if he felt he and MVP candidate Joel Embiid could lead the franchise to its first championship since 1983.

"My job is to help the team win a championship," Harden said at his introductory press conference Tuesday.

Harden arrived in Philadelphia after the 76ers executed a blockbuster deal with the Brooklyn Nets that notably sent Ben Simmons the other way.

It appears Harden has had his eyes on the possibility of playing in Philadelphia for a while, though.

"I just knew for a very long time this was a perfect fit," he said Tuesday. "It’s an opportunity of a lifetime."

Harden played in Brooklyn for 13 months after the Nets acquired him in a massive deal with the Houston Rockets in Jan. 2021. That marriage came to an unceremonious end, however, with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting prior to the trade that Harden wanted out and was hoping for a deadline deal to Philly.

Harden got his wish, although he'll be out through the All-Star break with a hamstring injury.  The 76ers will return from the break with a Feb. 25 road matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.