Although there was no denying that James Harden harbored resentment toward Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey, the guard seems to have nothing but respect for his former teammates.
When questioned about one player in particular after the deal that sent Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers, the ten-time NBA All-Star gave a positive assessment of Tyrese Maxey.
The intriguing statement that the 34-year-old made regarding Maxey was made public by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Gina Mizell as Harden prepared for his Clippers debut, which he stated would occur on Monday against the New York Knicks.
“I can only expect great things from Tyrese, just because of the amount of work I know he puts in,” Harden said Sunday afternoon from the Clippers’ team hotel in Manhattan. “He’s in the gym. He loves it, so the results are going to happen for him in a great way. I’m excited for him.
“Hopefully, he can have an opportunity to make an All-Star team and really show his game. I’m definitely excited for his growth and his maturity.”
Following his own overwhelmingly positive assessment of Harden, which he attributed to both the former Sixers guard taking him “under his wing” and helping to enhance his court vision, Maxey made the remarks.
“I texted [Harden] telling him I love him and I appreciate him … One thing that he really instilled in me is confidence. I’ve always been a confident person, but he made me even more confident than I already was … He took me under his wing, taught me a lot of things,” Maxey told reporters.
It is safe to say that when Harden and the Clippers play in New York on Monday night, all eyes will be on them.
There has been much discussion about how Harden will fit in with his new squad, so there won’t be any shortage of interest.
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