Chinese fans back James Harden after NBA star calls 76ers president Daryl Morey ‘a liar’

The 33-year-old guard says he won’t play for the Philadelphia 76ers again while Morey remains the team’s president

Harden apologised to China in 2019 after Morey tweeted in support of the Hong Kong protests, which resulted in NBA coverage being banned

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Published: 1:52pm, 15 Aug 2023

Chinese fans have showed their support for Philadelphia 76ers superstar James Harden after he told local media the team’s president Daryl Morey was “a liar”.

The 10-time NBA All-Star was in Beijing for an Adidas-sponsored event, as part of a promotional tour of the country that also took in a stop in Shanghai where he hosted a fan event and launched his personal brand of wine in the country.

In a video that went viral on China’s Twitter-like social media platform Weibo, Harden said he would refuse to play for the team as long as Morey remained in charge.

“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organisation that he’s a part of,” Harden – who is reportedly looking to leave the 76ers and does not plan on attending the team’s preseason training camp next month – said.

The gathered media and onlookers can be seen gasping at Harden’s statement, before breaking into cheers and applause.

Harden’s accusations exploded across Chinese social media, with growing support for the 33-year-old.