James Harden: Joel Embiid and I Don't Have a Relationship After 76ers-Clippers Trade

Even though James Harden and Joel Embiid spent 18 months as teammates with the Philadelphia 76ers, any relationship they had seemed to end when Harden was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers early this season.

Speaking to reporters after his first game back in Philadelphia since the trade, Harden had a short answer when asked if he still has a relationship with Embiid.

As you might expect, the Philadelphia crowd did not give Harden a friendly welcome when he was introduced before tipoff.

After an offseason of drama, which included Harden requesting a trade and calling 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey a "liar," the former NBA MVP was dealt to the Clippers on Nov. 1.

The deal brought an end to Harden's tenure in Philadelphia that began in February 2022 when he was acquired from the Brooklyn Nets. The on-court dynamic with he and Embiid worked well for the Sixers.

Philadelphia finished third in the Eastern Conference last season, with Embiid winning his first career MVP award. The team lost in the second round of the playoffs in seven games to the Boston Celtics.

Following the trade, Embiid praised his teammates after a Nov. 8 victory over the Celtics:

"I think it's a lot of credit to the culture that we have. No one has an ego on this team. We got new guys, we took them in, we got them up to speed. I think the fact that guys want to play with each other and they like being around each other, I think it helps a lot, too. Guys are unselfish, the ball is moving no matter if the shots are going in or not. Guys are just happy, just worried about the right things—which is to win. That's the only thing that matters and that's the only thing that should matter."

Harden did get some measure of revenge against his former team on Wednesday. The Clippers held on for a 108-107 win over the Sixers at the Wells Fargo Center. He finished with 16 points, 14 assists and five rebounds in 39 minutes.