NBA’s James Harden criticizes league exec backing Hong Kong protests during China visit.

Angsty rant comes after 76ers refused to honor Harden’s‍ trade request, his third in ⁢four years

What happened: James Harden, the mediocre Philadelphia ⁢76ers guard who ‍has demanded that‍ he be traded three times in four ‌years,‍ went to China and attacked Daryl Morey, the ⁤NBA executive who caused a firestorm in 2019 by ⁣expressing support for the Hong Kong ​freedom protests.

What he said: “Daryl Morey is⁢ a liar and I will never be a part of an⁤ organization that he’s ⁢a part of,” Harden huffed at an Adidas promotional event in China ​on Monday. “Let ⁣me ​say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar⁤ and I​ will never be⁣ a part of an ⁢organization that he’s a ⁣part of.”

Crucial context: Morey is the 76ers⁢ president, and previously served as general⁤ manager‌ of the Houston Rockets, where⁤ Harden also played before⁢ demanding a trade in 2020.

• Morey and the 76ers have rebuffed Harden’s most recent ‍trade request, and are reportedly planning to keep Harden on the⁤ team for‌ the⁤ upcoming season, setting up a showdown‍ with the disgruntled and perennially underperforming guard.

• ​In 2019, Morey​ expressed⁤ support for the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. “Fight For Freedom. Stand With Hong ⁢Kong,” he wrote ‍on Twitter. The ​NBA responded by issuing a⁢ groveling ⁢ apology to the Chinese government.

• The Chinese language⁢ version of the NBA’s statement, which differed significantly from​ the English language version, denounced Morey’s “inappropriate” and “regrettable” comments ‍for⁣ having ⁤”deeply ⁤offended” ⁢Chinese fans.

• Harden personally apologized ⁤to China for ⁤Morey’s⁣ pro-freedom tweet. “We apologize, ⁣we​ love⁢ China, we love playing there,”⁢ Harden said. “We ‌appreciate [China] as a fanbase, and we love everything they’re about.”

Why it matters: China, ‌a mediocre communist dictatorship, is America’s foremost⁤ global adversary.

• Less than a⁣ year after the NBA ‌apologized for Morey’s ⁢tweet about Hong Kong,⁣ a bombshell report from ESPN⁣ revealed widespread abuse​ at league-sponsored training⁤ camps⁤ in Xinjiang, where the Chinese government detains millions of Uyghur Muslims in concentration camps.

• One former NBA employee compared the situation to ⁣”World War II Germany.”

Bottom line: James Harden has never ⁤won an NBA championship and never will.