NBA playoffs 2023 - James Harden, the Philadelphia 76ers and a journey to change the narrative - ESPN

DURING THE POSTGAME news conference following Philadelphia's first-round sweep of the Brooklyn Nets, a question was posed to 76ers guard James Harden.

What are your motivations for this season, besides winning a championship?

In his answer, Harden kept coming back to one word: sacrifice.

«I told myself this year, that it's just, I'm all big on sacrifice,» said Harden, who finished Game 4 with 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. «Whether it's the money or my role, just letting everything go and just sacrificing — and then seeing what it gives me.»

«Throughout the entire year,» he continued, «people expect me to be the scoring James Harden and the James Harden that goes out there and gets 40, 50 points. And then people talk: 'Oh, you can't win like that.'

»And then I'll go out there and get 20 points and 11 assists. And it's like, 'Well, he's not the old James Harden no more.'"

Last summer, Harden took less money to return to Philadelphia on a one-year, $33 million deal with a player option for a second year, a move that created enough salary cap room for the 76ers to sign P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr., Harden's former teammates with the Houston Rockets.

Within the 76ers' offense, Harden has often fallen back into a facilitator role, while MVP favorite Joel Embiid and young guard Tyrese Maxey fulfill Philadelphia's scoring duties. Harden's points, field goal attempts and free throw attempts per game in 2022-23 were all lower than they were in any season since joining the Rockets in 2012.

Could Harden, 33, have made those sacrifices during his peak with the Rockets?

«No. No way,» Tucker told ESPN with a laugh. «Impossible.»

«With all the accomplishments he has, the only thing he has left is to win a championship,»