Joel Embiid says James Harden 'completely different than what you see out there' ahead of star guard's 76ers debut

MINNEAPOLIS — As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare to finally see James Harden take the court in their uniform for the first time Friday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, 76ers star Joel Embiid said Harden has been far different than the person he heard about before his arrival.

«I mean, it's funny, you see all the stories that are out there, and all that stuff, and obviously we all see it,» Embiid said prior to Philadelphia's shootaround Friday morning. «It's completely different than what you see out there. He's a great person, a great personality, always smiling, fun to be around. Everything, really.

»His presence on the team, and on the floor, has really changed a lot since he got here. So I'm just excited for that to continue on the court and I think that's going to help us a lot."

Two weeks after Philadelphia traded for Harden, and three weeks after he played his last game as a Brooklyn Net, the 10-time All-Star is ready to take the court after spending the past two weeks recovering from the hamstring tightness that saw him sit out the final three games of his tenure in Brooklyn.

But he wasn't listed on the injury report at all Friday, having participated fully in Thursday's practice at the University of Minnesota, and appears fully ready to go as the 76ers begin a 24-game sprint to the end of the regular season while trying to integrate one of the game's biggest stars into their operation.

And while this game has — understandably — been preceded by lots of buildup, given Harden's star-power, 76ers coach Doc Rivers said he hasn't had to talk to his players about managing expectations and emotions ahead of the star guard's debut.

«No. I mean, the guys know,» Rivers said. «This is a race now. 24 games or