When James Harden left the Philadelphia 76ers two weeks ago, having finally forced a long-sought trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, few locals had any brotherly love to show him on the way out. One ex-teammate, though, voiced his gratitude. “I texted him telling him I love him and I appreciate him,” said Tyrese Maxey, Harden’s backcourt understudy during a 2023 playoff run that ended a game short of the conference finals. “I’ve always been a confident person,” he added, “but he made me even more confident than I already was.”

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Persons: James Harden, “, ”, Tyrese Maxey, Harden’s backcourt, “ I’ve Organizations: Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers