‘They didn’t want me’: James Harden claims he was forced out of the Philadelphia 76ers because the front office ‘had other plans’ as new Clippers star speaks out on move to LA

During his introductory press conference, newly acquired Los Angeles Clippers point guard James Harden said he envisioned a long-term future with his old team, the Philadelphia 76ers.

Now that he’s on a new team, Harden says he wants to prove “everything” in Los Angeles.

After a lengthy attempt to leave Philadelphia, Harden now reveals that he envisioned staying with the Sixers for the rest of his career, but senior players had a different view.

Harden told the press that he arrived when he was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to Philadelphia, “thinking I would retire as a Sixer.”

But as he says, “I mean, the front office had other plans. You know, they didn’t know that, they didn’t want me.

But the guard says the front office had other plans (Sixers GM Daryl Morey, left)

“And it’s that simple, so – and it’s more detailed, more, you know, that I can’t talk about.

“But there are a lot of stories, and I don’t have social media, but there are a lot of stories, and people are talking, people think they have an opinion or a voice, and other people are listening. But none of that is true.

‘I’m not the type to go back and forth or explain myself, because you always take something out of what I say and turn it into a different story.

“So long story short, I’m glad I’m here.” I’m happy that I can show how good individually and how good this team can be. And it will be so.’

In June, Harden opted into the final year of his contract with the Sixers, while also making it clear he wanted to leave Philadelphia.

Four months later, the Sixers finally agreed to send him along with P.J. Tucker and Filip Petrusev for a package of role players and picks.

Harden is expected to make his debut with his new team on the road against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Clippers head coach Ty Lue said Wednesday that he had not yet spoken with Russell Westbrook — the Clippers’ current starting point guard — about how the role will be divided.

Harden couldn’t get to the Eastern Conference Finals with this Philadelphia team

Now Harden will play with his new team for the first time at Madison Square Garden

Now Westbrook and Harden have reunited for the third time in their careers. They both started their NBA journeys with the Oklahoma City Thunder and later were teammates again with the Houston Rockets.

‘I don’t predict the future. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know, buddy,” Westbrook said.

‘But it will be a process. There will be ups and downs, good games, bad games.

“It’s not just going to come together and mesh together and we’ll be completely fine. Those are unrealistic expectations for everyone.

“The realistic expectations, like I said, it’s going to be a process. I don’t have an answer to what that is.’

Star forward Paul George called Westbrook and Harden “two different animals” who have had chemistry elsewhere before.

“We talked about it leading up to it,” George said. “The reason he’s here is we wanted him here.

“And I mean, we all said we think we can make it work, we’ll figure it out, but obviously we have to practice, we have to play to really get on the same page.”