TNT/NBA
- Nets guard James Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers right the day of the NBA’s trade deadline.
- Conveinently enough, the NBA All-Star Game was held just a few hours later.
- Kevin Durant and LeBron James had fun at Harden’s expense by picking him last.
Smartly timed to take place just a few hours after the trade deadline, the NBA held its All-Star game draft on Thursday night, which saw LeBron James and Kevin Durant draft the reserve, non-starting-five players for their respective teams.
Given all the drama that’s unfolded in Brooklyn over recent weeks — Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers after passively-aggressively making it clear he wanted out of Brooklyn (he did not formally request a trade due to a reported fear of public backlash) — it should perhaps come as no surprise that given the chance to save Harden the embarrassment of being picked last, former teammate Kevin Durant instead chose Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert, claiming he needed rim protection (in the famously defenseless game).
Knowing the real reason behind Durant’s selection — shading Harden — LeBron simply could not contain himself as he used a clipboard to cover his laughter. It was a wonderfully relatable Two Brothers Clowin’ On Another Bro moment that we can certainly all relate to. To make matters worse for Harden, LeBron and KD weren’t the only ones clowning on Harden as the old heads of the Inside the NBA crew, specifically Charles Barkley and Ernie Johnson, got in on the joke.
Prior to Thursday’s trade deadline, the Brooklyn Nets traded the 32-year-old Harden, who missed the last three games with a hamstring injury, for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks. The “Big 3” of Harden, Durant, and Kyrie Irving ultimately played just 16 games together for the Nets. The 2022 NBA All-Star Game will take place in Cleveland on Sunday, February 20,