Rockets stars Wall, Cousins confronted James Harden before infamous 'farewell' interview

The James Harden trade was a protracted saga and the seeds were sown after Houston's playoff defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers in Orlando. Since then, the Rockets have seen a mass exodus, with Daryl Morey, Mike D'Antoni and Russell Westbrook all leaving the franchise before Harden's controversial exit. The 31-year-old's last weeks in Houston were turbulent for the franchise as a whole and his trade was soon finalised as the Rockets slipped to 3-6 in their first nine games of the season. 

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James Harden trade: John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins slammed The Beard in team meeting before Nets move 

James Harden had grown disgruntled at Houston and while he started the season well, his efforts and form considerably dropped during his final days. The drop in quality was visible especially during their twin home defeats against the Lakers, prompting head coach Stephen Silas to hold a team meeting. As revealed by The Athletic, in the meeting Silas decided to keep Harden out of subsequent team activities until a trade was complete and sources said multiple teammates expressed displeasure with the 31-year-old's recent body language and effort. 

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Among the revolting teammates were John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, who also spoke to the media following the infamous James Harden interview where he bid farewell to the city. The duo sought a direct response to Harden’s level of commitment and preaching about the importance of accountability, similar to the lines of Russell Westbrook, who eventually was traded to the Washington Wizards. Harden reportedly made it clear that there was way too much history here for the newcomers to truly understand what was going on, which could have been 'the disrespect' Cousins referred to in his presser. 

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Nonetheless, Harden finally had his wish granted and a trade to the Brooklyn Nets was finalised. The Philadelphia 76ers were in the running for Harden as well, but the Nets just upped the ante with their offer every time. The desperation from Brooklyn to bring Harden has paid dividends so far, with The Beard starring in both their games since the blockbuster trade. The 31-year-old accumulated a 30-point triple-double on his debut against the Orlando Magic, before following it up with a game-high 34 points against the Milwaukee Bucks. Harden has teamed up well with former OKC Thunder teammate Kevin Durant, and the things are looking good for the Nets, despite Kyrie Irving's absence. 

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(Image Courtesy: Rockets, Nets Instagram)