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The Philadelphia 76ers rolled the dice last season by waiting for the right Ben Simmons trade. From time to time, rumors of a package involving Sacramento’s Tyrese Haliburton or De’Aaron Fox trickled through, but President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey stayed firm.
Morey refused to sell Simmons, a multi-time All-Star, defensive ace, and playmaker under contract for several more years waltz out the door for peanuts.
And by biding his time, Morey was able to pry James Harden away from the Brooklyn Nets. The trade-deadline blockbuster gave the Sixers a bona fide playmaker and scoring aficionado to play alongside Joel Embiid.
The mega-trade also came with its own risks, like whether to hand out a massive contract to Harden after an inconsistent first few months in Philadelphia. Fortunately, the Sixers emerged with the best scenario possible. Harden agreed to opt out of his extension and take a $12 million pay cut. The reduced salary opened up opportunities for the front office to sign veterans PJ Tucker and Danuel House to pad the team’s depth.
But Morey is finding his own way to take the sting out of Harden’s pay cut. On September 6, he tweeted a photo of Harden’s newest business venture: J-Harden Wines.
“Congrats to @JHarden13 on the record setting launch of @JHardenWines – top 10 in sales! I can’t wait to try,” tweeted Morey.
While it’s highly unlikely Morey is the sole reason behind Harden’s blossoming project, dropping $18.99 in Harden’s bank account certainly isn’t hurting things.
Harden Has Been Busy Spreading the Word of His Wine
Harden, being the consummate businessperson that he is, has enjoyed some free advertising on his Twitter page. The star has used his massive platform — 7.6 million followers — to spread the word about his wine project.
Harden joins a host of other players and former players dipping their toes into the alcohol game. He also adds wine to a portfolio that already consists of shares in the sports apparel brand Stance, as well as investments into the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash, two soccer clubs located in the Lone Star State.
Harden’s Wine Matches His Own NBA Journey
Curiously, Harden’s wine project shares much in common with his own path through professional basketball.
For starters, Harden teamed up with Accolade Wines to get the project off the ground. Accolade Wines is a well-known and well-respected beverage company with a portfolio ranging from local favorites to well-known international labels. In a similar vein, Harden teamed up with a mega-star in Oklahoma City to get his career started in Kevin Durant.
Further, Harden’s goal for the wine isn’t to make some frumpy, exclusive label only available to the elite.
“My entrance into the wine game is much bigger than just having my own label,” said Harden, per 97.5 The Fanatic. “I have always seen the wine industry as a closed-door environment. Through my partnership with Accolade and the release of J-HARDEN, my goal is to make a high-quality product that can be enjoyed by the masses at a reasonable price. If you’re new to wine or an experienced enthusiast, I believe you’ll love this wine as much as I do.”
Harden knows a thing or two about offering a discount for great quality.