James Harden sent strong statements to his former teams as he regretted the sacrifices he made for them after leaving the Houston Rockets in 2021.
Talking to the Earn Your Leisure podcast, Harden said his sacrifices with the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Clippers all went to naught in the name of chasing an NBA championship.
He also revealed that he lost a significant amount of money while making those sacrifices.
“Let me just try to sacrifice the money, the individual accolades, all that. Let me just try to sacrifice and switch it up a little bit, and hopefully that’ll work in my favor in the sense of trying to win a championship,” he revealed.
“So that’s when the Brooklyn situation happened, that was tricky. We had the opportunity. And then the Philly situation, where it’s like same thing: let me just be a playmaker, switch up my role.”
James Harden Feels Nothing Worked For His Former Teams
GettyCLEVELAND, OHIO – JANUARY 20: Kevin Durant #7 James Harden #13 and Kyrie Irving #11 of the Brooklyn Nets celebrate during the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on January 20, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Nothing worked for those teams, according to Harden, as he felt that he wasted his sacrifices for them.
“None of that worked. Like, you feel me?,” he said. “I sacrificed money, I sacrificed being the top scorer that I am, that I still am and will be. Long story short: it was for nothing. I lost a lot of money and I lost a lot of swagger on the court, just from sacrificing, thinking that all that’s gonna get me to win a championship.”
Since forcing a trade from the Houston Rockets in January 2021, Harden has moved through four franchises in his quest for an NBA championship.
His post-Houston journey began with a blockbuster move to the Brooklyn Nets, where he paired with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to form a short-lived offensive juggernaut. Yet, they never fulfilled their potential as injuries haunted the team, winning only one playoff series during his time there.
Seeking a more stable situation, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in February 2022, teaming up with MVP center Joel Embiid and leading the NBA in assists during the 2022-2023 season.
Harden’s time with the Philadelphia 76ers ended with a disappointing second-round playoff exit in 2023 against the Boston Celtics, culminating in a 3-4 series loss where Harden struggled in the final games before demanding a trade.
Following a public contract dispute with the Philadelphia front office, Harden forced another trade in November 2023, joining his hometown Los Angeles Clippers.
Harden’s time with the Clippers ended in February 2026 when he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. The abrupt departure followed a breakdown in contract-flexibility talks.
In Cleveland, he recently solidified his long-term future by signing a new three-year, $97 million contract extension.
James Harden Loves Playing In Cleveland
GettyNEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 19: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in action against the New York Knicks during Game One of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals at Madison Square Garden on May 19, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Now, James Harden is loving where he is at.
“Yes. 100%. Definitely. Both. Yes,” Harden said when asked if he wants to stay in Cleveland after the Cavaliers lost in the Eastern Conference Finals against the eventual NBA champions New York Knicks last season. “Definitely want to be here. I think we found something. It’s tough not ending how we wanted to, but I think we found something.”
The team is in good shape, led by Donovan Mitchell, with Harden alongside Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
They also added promising wing Peyton Watson via a sign-and-trade with the Denver Nuggets.
Harden gets to compete for an NBA title with the Cavaliers in the tail end of his Hall of Fame-worthy NBA career.
James Harden Regrets Sacrifices After Leaving Houston Rockets