When the Philadelphia 76ers acquired James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Ben Simmons, many believed they had finally found the ideal backcourt partner for Joel Embiid. The duo thrived on the pick-and-roll, showing great promise, but the team fell short of reaching the conference finals, losing in seven games to the Boston Celtics during the 2023 playoffs. That series marked the last time Harden and Embiid played together before Harden was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers that summer.
Rift Opens as Harden and Embiid Drift Apart
Once close allies on the court, Joel Embiid revealed to ESPN’s Dotun Akintoye that the relationship between him and Harden has now collapsed to the point of nonexistence. Harden reportedly blames Embiid for the trade, a claim the superstar center strongly denies. Embiid expressed frustration over being wrongly implicated in the decision, explaining that the situation is one of the challenges of being a leading figure on a team.
No one knows this, but even James [Harden] is not talking to me,
Embiid shared. He added,
That’s the part I don’t like about being ‘that guy,’ because it puts you in the middle of those situations. Because if you ask James, he probably believes I had something to do with him not being here. And I’m just like, ‘I won the scoring title. You won the assists title. We had a pick-and-roll that was unstoppable.’
The breakdown extends beyond simple misunderstanding for Embiid, who also voiced the emotional toll of the fractured friendship.
It hurts when you feel like you haven’t done anything wrong,
he said.
When you think you have a relationship like that with somebody … you lose a lot.
Embiid’s Distance from Team Decisions
Embiid highlighted his efforts to avoid involvement in personnel matters, emphasizing that he tells the Sixers organization he never wants to be
responsible for someone losing their job, someone getting traded, someone getting fired.
While this stance appears sincere, skepticism remains within the NBA community, where star players typically have some input in major roster changes or at least tacitly approve of them.
According to Dotun Akintoye’s profile, Embiid seems to be an exception. The article describes him as a superstar who largely keeps to himself and a shrinking circle of trusted individuals, while also being somewhat at odds with the team’s front office.
Implications of the Breakup
Joel Embiid’s strained connection with James Harden is the latest in a series of damaged relationships, complicating the superstar’s position within the league and the organization. Harden remains doubtful about Embiid’s claimed innocence regarding his trade, adding another layer of tension to the situation. This discord between two former teammates could impact team chemistry and embolden narrative threads about the challenges of managing star personalities in modern NBA dynamics.