James Harden was introduced to a roar of cheers at the Wells Fargo Center last night.
The 32-year-old NBA superstar was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers on February 10, as part of a blockbuster trade that sent Ben Simmons to the Brooklyn Nets (who still hasn’t made his debut with the team yet, by the way). Since Harden made his debut with the Sixers on February 25 in Minnesota, Philly has won all three games Harden has played in for them, including his home debut.
On Wednesday, March 2, Harden made his home debut in front of a sold-out Wells Fargo Center in South Philly, in front of over 20,000 raucous fans. After beating the Knicks 125-109 at Madison Square Garden on February 27, when he scored 29 points with ten rebounds, five assists and a career-high 16 steals, The Beard shined again against the Knicks, this time at his new home.
⬇️ @JHarden13's first bucket in The Center! ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/GVcNP020UK
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) March 3, 2022
With the help of Harden, the Sixers would again go on to beat the Knicks, this time by a score of 123-108. The Beard scored 26 points, including nine rebounds and nine assists, and won over the hearts of Sixers fans everywhere—at least, for now.
“Just exciting,” Harden said following his third win with the team. “The love, the fans, it feels like home. Just the love, the support, man, from looking around, hearing, ‘We love you, James.’ That right there makes me go out and play harder, and I just wanted to do whatever it takes to get the win.”
“I mean, we all just fit together,” other 76ers superstar Joel Embiid said of his new teammate’s performance. ”You’ve got someone in James that comes in with his experience and his playmaking ability, scoring ability, and you add up what he adds [and] he’s been amazing, and what we have on the team. It all fits.”
The 76ers currently sit at third place in the Eastern Conference, with a 38-23 record.
What did you think of James Harden’s impressive home debut for the team? Let us know, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
