Having closed off his tenure with the Houston Rockets in a
shaky situation, new Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden on Friday said that he
did not believe he was disrespectful to anyone back in Houston, admitting to at
the same time the unfavourable situations that developed in his former club.

Highlighting he was with the Rockets for quite a long time,
Harden explained that his comment was not directed towards anyone in
particular, but insinuated that the team was not good enough for a title-run,
pointing out the importance of the same to himself, according to an ESPN report.

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“And so, I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful to anybody
— especially not to the organization. And like I said, I am excited to be here
in Brooklyn and, you know, excited for a new start”, Harden was quoted as
saying.

Harden, on Tuesday, had spoken to the media after a poor
loss against the Los Angeles Lakers, saying the Rockets were “just not
good enough” for a title-run. He had further added that the situation was “something
I don’t think can be fixed”.

Expectedly, the comment drew flack from the Houston quarters
the next day, with former teammate DeMarcus Cousins terming Harden’s comment as
“disrespectful”, and Rockets Power Forward Christian Wood saying the comments
were “a little bit disappointing”.

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The situation further escalated as coach Stephen Silas
stated that it would be better for the team if Harden does not further attend practices,
and came to a conclusive end between the player and the club as Rockets, later
on in the same day, traded off Harden to the Nets as part of a four-team trade,
landing Harden in Brooklyn.