The Philadelphia 76ers went to great lengths to acquire James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets. They traded Ben Simmons and then managed to convince Harden to take a pay cut in the offseason.
Of course, hopes were quite high after watching Harden and Joel Embiid dominate throughout the regular season. However, some people still doubt The Beard and his ability to deliver when it matters the most.
It seems like the narrative toward Harden has always been negative. That's why the former MVP isn't bothered about what people have to say about him anymore, especially at this point in his career.
NBA News: James Harden Is Unbothered By The Haters
“I don’t need the credit. I don’t really care. I guess people give credit to who they want to give credit to," Harden said, per Sixers Wire. "You know what I mean? Like, they pick and choose who they want to give credit to. If I was to sit there and feel some type of way that I wasn’t getting any credit, I wouldn’t be doing a million other things that I’m supposed to be doing. I focus on what I can control. I go out there and do my job and try to be the best James Harden I can be."
"I guess you’re impacting the game in more than one way," The Beard continued. "So just trying to find ways to put my footprint on the game. Whether it’s scoring, whether it’s helping the bigs rebound, or being the facilitator I am. So, obviously, it’s a good thing. You don’t ever want to take them for granted, but it means you’re impacting the game in more than one way."
Harden is one of the most unstoppable scorers this game has ever seen, but his lack of playoff success will always be a stain in his résumé. Hopefully, this will be the year he finally puts his doubters at ease with a deep postseason run.
