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Summary:
- NBA slaps James Harden with $100,000 fine
- Harden’s public comments regarding his future with the Philadelphia 76ers brought about the fine
- NBAP has decided to file a grievance opposing the $100,000 fine
The Philadelphia 76ers and James Harden fallout continues to make news with the latest update being a 6 figure fine imposed on Harden.
The NBA announced that it has decided to impose a $100,000 fine on Harden for his public remarks regarding his status with the 76ers.
Why Did The NBA Issue A $100k Fine?
Harden who plays for the 76ers has been very unhappy with the team and wanted to be traded. He was very clear with his comments on Aug 14 and 17 stating that he did not intend to honour his contract with the 76ers and play for them unless they traded him to another team.
Harden made these comments while he was in China and twice called 76ers GM Daryl Morey a liar, stating that he would never play for any organization that had ties to Morey.
The NBA had a discussion with Harden to ascertain whether his comments were made on the basis that the 76ers would not trade him. Once the NBA got confirmation that it was indeed the case, a fine was issued.
The NBA also investigated as to whether Harden wasn’t going to play during the 2023-2024 season as this would have been a breach of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Harden decided to use his $35.6 million player option at the start of the off-season as he wanted to be traded to the Los Angeles Clippers.
NBPA To File Grievance Against Harden Fine
The NBA Player Association (NBPA) is expected to file a grievance against the $100,000 fine against James Harden.
In a statement, the NBPA said
We respectfully disagree with the league’s decision to discipline James Harden for recent comments he made, which we believe do not violate the rule against public trade demands. We intend to file a grievance and have the matter heard by our Arbitrator.
Harden is considered to be among the top 5 players in the NBA and was the 2018 Most Valuable Player (MVP). However, the 34 year old is yet to win an NBA Championship and does not have a lot of years left to achieve that goal.
