The NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5 brought plenty of surprises. But perhaps nothing was bigger than James Harden’s unexpected move from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Fans across the league were left stunned when the news broke. Now, after making his debut in a Cavs jersey, Harden has sent a heartfelt message to the Clippers fanbase.
James Harden’s Recent Message Regarding His Time in LA
Saturday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings marked Harden’s debut for Cleveland, and it could not have gone much better, as the Cavaliers walked away with a strong win, and Harden played a major role in it.
After the game, the veteran guard addressed Clippers fans. He thanked them for their support during his time in Los Angeles and made it clear that he holds no hard feelings.
“I appreciate them, man. From The Wall to everybody at Intuit. The love and support they showed me — the love and the feeling was mutual. Being a kid from LA, having the opportunity to hoop in front of my family and friends and people I grew up with was an honor. You don’t really get that opportunity.”
“It was a blessing for those 2.5 years. Obviously, you don’t want situations to end, but there is a business side on both sides. I’m happy I had that opportunity and that we ended it well,” Harden said during a postgame interview.
Harden entered the NBA in 2009 as the third overall pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played three seasons there, and then he was traded to the Houston Rockets before the 2012–13 season. He then spent nine standout years as a franchise star. Later stops with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers followed before he joined the Clippers in 2023.
Seeing Harden in Cleveland was something that no one expected. But in his debut game, he did impress the Cleveland fans, as he put up 23 points and 8 assists in 32 minutes of play.
If we look at the game, the Cavs actually had a slow start, and it was because they were trailing by seven points early on. By halftime, they managed to flip things around. They were then leading by two points. But it was the second half where Cleveland really turned up the heat as they went on to score a total of 75 points in the second half. The Kings simply could not handle it, and they lost the game 132-126.
Now Harden and the Cavs will get ready for their next game, which is against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 9.
