Harden skips practice; Nurse: No reason given
Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden did not show up for practice Wednesday, with coach Nick Nurse saying he had no explanation as to why.
Harden, who has sought a trade since picking up his $35.6 million player option for the 2023-24 season, had been expected to participate in Wednesday’s practice. Last week, Harden said he could make his preseason debut at home on Friday -- the team’s final preseason game -- against the Atlanta Hawks.
“If he’s here, we go; if he’s not here, we go,” Nurse told reporters Wednesday. “... I’m still going on what he said the last time I talked him, that he was going to ramp up and get ready to play Friday. We’ll see how it goes.”
Harden, after attending a meeting with the team in New York on Sunday, has been in Houston for the past few days, sources told ESPN’S Ramona Shelburne. The franchise plans to allow Harden the chance to explain his absence before deciding how to handle any punishment, sources told Shelburne.
Harden has been frustrated for months that his wish to be traded to the LA Clippers has yet to be granted. The two teams have talked in recent days, sources told ESPN’S Adrian Wojnarowski on Wednesday, but that a sizable gap remains between them on a potential Harden deal. eight months and be back in time for the Copa América, which will be contested in the United States next summer.
“Striker Neymar Jr. of the Brazilian team and Al-hilal, from Saudi Arabia, underwent clinical and imaging tests this Wednesday, which confirmed the rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee,” Brazil’s Football Confederation said in a statement.
“The striker will undergo a surgical procedure, on a date yet to be defined, to correct the injuries. The Brazilian National Team’s medical department, under the supervision of Dr. Rodrigo Lasmar, and Al Hilal, are in permanent contact and aligned in the player’s recovery.” look at LIV, they are wanting to be a part of it. Everybody here is happy and enjoying what we are doing and enjoying the team aspect of it and enjoying each other and the camaraderie and enjoying playing golf globally and all the benefits that come with playing this tour.
“There’s a lot of players that see that and want to be a part of it. The question is how many spots are available? There’s a lot more players that want to come than there are spots.”
The framework agreement that the PGA Tour reached with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour on June 6 included a provision that the LIV Golf League would stop recruiting players from the other tours. That language, however, was later removed from the agreement because of pressure from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division.