Joel Embiid’s former teammate, James Harden, included the big man in his list of all-time starters. Embiid and Harden formerly played together for the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden arrived in Philadelphia after he requested a trade out of the Brooklyn Nets in the 2021-22 NBA season. He then got to play 21 regular-season games with the Sixers and helped them move on to the second round of the 2022 playoffs.
Harden then played one more season with the 76ers, which resulted in another second-round playoff exit. Due to his frustrations, Harden ultimately forced a sign-and-trade deal that would send him to the Los Angeles Clippers. This left a foul taste in Philadelphia’s mouth, especially with the way Harden handled the situation.
Despite all the negativity, Harden doesn’t seem to have hard feelings with Embiid any longer. This was due to his recently mentioning the big man as part of his hypothetical starting lineup. Harden named his starting five if everyone were still in their primes. These players, including himself, featured Kyrie Irving, Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Embiid.
James Harden reveals his all-time starting lineup of former teammates:
Kyrie IrvingRussell WestbrookJames HardenKevin DurantJoel Embiid
(h/t @big_business_ )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 11, 2025
It’s somehow surprising that Harden still mentioned Embiid despite their history. The 76ers’ star center previously publicly stated he and the Clippers guard are no longer friends. Embiid claimed to have his feelings hurt after Harden decided not to talk to him anymore.
Then again, a lot of NBA players tend to make up overtime despite their differences. We’ve seen Durant and Westbrook make up after Kevin decided to join the Golden State Warriors back in the 2016-17 season. Dwight Howard also got a second chance with the Los Angeles Lakers organization and fanbase after leaving a bad impression during his first stint playing alongside Kobe Bryant. With that in mind, Embiid and Harden burying the hatchet isn’t a far-fetched idea.
