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Raptors fans poke fun at Nick Nurse after latest bizarre comments from James Harden

Adam Laskaris
Adam Laskaris
|
Aug 14 2023, 3:23 pm
Raptors fans poke fun at Nick Nurse after latest bizarre comments from James Harden
Kiyoshi Mio | Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

When Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors parted ways this spring, it wasn’t quite clear where the longtime Toronto head coach would end up.

But hired by a divisional rival in the Philadelphia 76ers back in May, the ever-fiery Nurse isn’t going away from Raptors fans’ minds anytime soon.

Nurse’s hiring signalled a clear win-now direction for the 76ers, who have had championship aspirations for much of the last decade, though have failed to advance out of the second round of the playoffs since beating Toronto in the Eastern Conference semifinals back in 2001.

And on Monday, Nurse got perhaps his best case yet of the “Philly sports are always weird” phenomenon, when star point guard James Harden called out team president Daryl Morey for how he’s handled the 76ers since Harden joined the team in a blockbuster trade back in 2022.

“Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of,” Harden said during an Adidas media event in China. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar and I will never be a part of an organization that he’s a part of.”

Harden chose to opt into the final year of a two-year contract with the 76ers this year, although he reportedly did so with the intention of being routed to a new destination, with multiple reports suggesting the Los Angeles Clippers as his preferred destination.

Multiple reports suggested that Harden does not plan to report to training camp, although at age 33 and seemingly no trade market for him, it does beg the question of what’s next for Harden, the 76ers, Morey, and Nurse.

During his introductory press conference with the 76ers back in June, Nurse had a bit of a testy exchange with longtime Philadelphia reporter Howard Eskin about Harden’s future.

“James has a decision to make, and I’d be very happy if he came back,” Nurse said in response to Eskin’s question about whether he’d like Harden on the team next season.

Many Raptors fans (and a few others) shared their thoughts on the situation Nurse now finds himself in before he’s even coached a game in Philadelphia.

While some felt a bit bad for the only head coach in franchise history to bring an NBA title to the Raptors, others seemed to be enjoying seeing Nurse deal with a bit of adversity.

With the NBA schedule still not out, it’s not clear yet when Nurse will make his return to Scotiabank Arena with his new team. But given the latest comments and actions from his star point guard, it’s hard to imagine Harden will be joining him.

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