Joel Embiid

James Harden was listening.

There were questions after his 2021-22 season about whether he had lost a step or whether his prime years were a thing of the past after he didn't appear to be his vintage self following his trade to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Harden sure looked like his old self on Tuesday night, putting up 35 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a season-opening 126-117 loss to the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics.

Philly fans won't be thrilled with the loss to a hated rival. Nonetheless, seeing Harden play at an extremely high level was a good sign.

And the NBA community noticed:

Heck, even Harden's misses caused a ripple online:

The Sixers will have plenty to work out after Tuesday's tough loss. The defense was poor—which is a nice way of putting it—and allowed Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (35 points each) to basically score at will.

Joel Embiid had solid counting stats (26 points, 15 rebounds, five assists) but was loose with the ball, turning it over six times, and didn't look particularly effective as a defender.

In the grand scheme of things, Tuesday's loss was one game of 82. The defense should stabilize somewhat as a slew of new players added in the offseason, like P.J. Tucker, Danuel House, De'Anthony Melton and Montrezl Harrell, learn to play together.

Doc Rivers will get a better handle on the rotations. You wouldn't bet on Embiid having a net rating of minus-13 like he had on Tuesday very often.

The bigger story, then, was Harden's performance. He looked like the player we saw with the Houston Rockets and briefly with the Brooklyn Nets when he first arrived. And if the Sixers get that version of Harden going forward, they will be a force to be reckoned with this season.

Despite being teammates for five-plus seasons, Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid never had much of a relationship off the court.

Speaking to ESPN's Nick Friedell, Simmons said he and Embiid "never really spoke" during their time together with the Philadelphia 76ers:

"I don't think there was really a relationship there. Like in terms of a friendship? You can try as hard as you want to try to be close to somebody, be their friend, whatever it is, but everyone is different as people, so for me, it's never personal. I don't have any anger or hate towards him. He is who he is and I am who I am. And we've got our personal lives. And work is basketball, so in that moment, my goal is to win and I got to win with Jo. He's a great player, we just didn't get it done."

There have been indications from both players that they didn't have a close relationship outside of being teammates.

In a March interview with Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix, soon after Simmons was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, Embiid said he didn't hold any resentment toward the three-time All-Star.

"I wouldn’t mind being friends," Embiid said. "That’s just me. I don’t care. Honestly. I respect the decision he made. I think it’s unfortunate what happened, but to me it’s whatever."

The end of the Philadelphia 76ers' era with Simmons and Embiid as the top two players came on June 20, 2021. The Sixers lost in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals to the Atlanta Hawks.

After the game, Embiid and head coach Doc Rivers were critical of Simmons for his performance in the game. The entire saga spilled over to the start of the 2021-22 season, eventually leading to Philadelphia trading Simmons to Brooklyn in February.

Simmons ultimately sat out all of last season to focus on his mental health and a back injury that required surgery in May. The 26-year-old has been playing for the Nets throughout the preseason.

Brooklyn's first preseason game was against the Sixers on Oct. 3. Simmons scored six points with five assists and four rebounds in 19 minutes. He had his best showing of the preseason on Wednesday, dropping seven points, 10 assists and eight rebounds in a 107-97 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Simmons will make his regular-season debut for the Nets on Oct. 19 against the New Orleans Pelicans at Barclays Center.

Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is a wanted man leading up to the 2024 Olympics.

Per NBA insider Marc Stein in his Substack Newsletter, Embiid has "firm interest" from Team USA for the Paris Games.

Stein noted Embiid, who gained French citizenship in July, is also being pursued by the host country to play for the French national team.

Embiid told reporters on Sept. 29 he was also sworn in as a U.S. citizen earlier in the month.

"I've been here for a long time," the five-time All-Star said. "My son is American. I felt like, I'm living here and it's a blessing to be an American. So I said, why not?"

French national team coach Vincent Collet told reporters Thursday he's hopeful Embiid will play for him in two years.

"I know he met some of our players to discuss," Collet said. "I think he should play with us. But we will see. We will respect his decision whatever it is."

Even though the Olympic teams would probably like a swift decision, Embiid made it clear he's not focused on 2024 right now.

"I just want to be healthy and win a championship and go from there," he said last month.

Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, has yet to participate in the Olympics. He was mentored by fellow Cameroon basketball player Luc Mbah a Moute before heading to Kansas in 2013.

Steve Kerr will be the head coach for Team USA during this Olympic cycle. He will take over for Gregg Popovich, who led the squad to a gold medal at the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

The U.S. team defeated France 87-82 in the men's final to win its fourth consecutive Olympic title. Despite the loss, the French squad tied its best finish at the Olympics and medaled for the first time since 2000.

Team USA is the top squad in the FIBA world rankings. Spain, Australia, Argentina and France round out the top five.

While Embiid decides about his Olympic future, he is also preparing for his ninth season with the Philadelphia 76ers. The 28-year-old is coming off the best season of his career. He averaged an NBA-best 30.6 points per game and finished second in MVP voting.

The Sixers will open the regular season on Oct. 18 against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

The Process is officially a United States citizen.

Philadelphia 76ers superstar center Joel Embiid, who was born in Cameroon, told Dan Gelston of the Associated Press on Thursday that he was sworn in as an American citizen two weeks ago.

"I've been here for a long time," he said. "My son is American. I felt like, I'm living here and it's a blessing to be an American. So I said, why not?"

Embiid also has French citizenship, though he still hasn't made a decision on which team he might represent in international basketball.

The MVP runner-up from each of the last two seasons averaged 30.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game in the 2021-22 campaign, leading the Sixers to their fifth straight postseason appearance.

James Harden believes he's unselfish. NBA fans disagree.

The guard explained Thursday that he can accept a smaller role with the Philadelphia 76ers thanks to his unselfish mindset:

Harden won three straight scoring titles with the Houston Rockets from 2017-20, but he said Thursday he didn't need to score as much once he joined the Brooklyn Nets alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. He also said he can take a backseat next to Joel Emiid in Philadelphia.

"You can't come in here expecting to average 30 points, so again, finding ways to impact the game," Harden said of the 76ers.

Fans weren't as convinced, mocking the superstar's initial statement:

The 10-time All-Star is certainly more than his scoring as one of the top triple-double threats in the game. In 21 games with Philadelphia, the veteran averaged 21.0 points, 10.5 assists and 7.1 rebounds per game.

Harden averaged 10.3 assists per game across 65 appearances with the 76ers and Nets last year, ranking second in the NBA behind only Chris Paul.

Though he often gets mocked for his defensive effort on social media, Harden finished last year with 2.7 defensive win shares, per Basketball Reference. This would have ranked second for Philadelphia over the full season, with only Embiid posting a better mark.

With Embiid set to return as an MVP candidate and Tyrese Maxey emerging as one of the bright young stars in the league, Harden can take on a smaller role while helping the team 76ers contend for a title.

Of course, the term "unselfish" could take on different meanings for NBA fans.

Harden was traded midseason in each of the last two years after ugly exits from the Rockets and Nets. It will be up to the 33-year-old to prove himself on and off the court in 2022-23.

The 2022-23 NBA season will reportedly kick off with a showdown between two title contenders in the Eastern Conference.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, Jayson Tatum's Boston Celtics and Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers will be part of an opening night doubleheader on TNT on Oct. 18.

The second game will be a previously reported clash between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.

This is another piece of the puzzle as the 2022-23 schedule begins to come into view.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported the full schedule will be released Wednesday, and Charaniaoe previously provided a look at an intriguing slate of games that will take center stage on Christmas Day:

That the Celtics and 76ers will be nationally featured on opening night and Christmas Day was no surprise.

Boston was in the NBA Finals last season and features one of the best one-two punches in the league in Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Philadelphia hasn't made it past the second round of the playoffs since the 2000-01 campaign, but it has its own talented pair in Embiid and James Harden who could change that this season.

Throw in the rivalry between these Atlantic Division teams that always serves as the backdrop when they square off, and there is plenty to look forward to with the reported first clash.

Boston and Philadelphia fittingly split their four matchups last season, and whichever team comes out on top in the 2022-23 campaign could have the inside track for a higher seed and home-court advantage in what figures to be a tightly contested Eastern Conference race.

Fans won't have to wait long for the next chapter of the rivalry.

Joel Embiid is one step closer to playing for the French national team.

Former NBA forward Boris Diaw, who now serves as France's general manager for international competition, said Embiid has been accepted as a citizen and will soon apply to play for the country.

"His [Joel Embiid's] request for naturalization has been accepted," Diaw told L'Equipe. "We know that he’s still waiting for the French passport. When he obtains it, then he can start the process and apply for a FIBA license for the national team.

"He would've liked to play this summer if he hadn't been injured. But he underwent hand surgery and didn't return to basketball."

Embiid was born and raised in Cameroon but has family in France. The process of him joining the French team has been several months in the making, setting the potential stage for Embiid to be part of the 2024 Olympic roster.

FIBA rules allow one naturalized citizen to be part of each country's roster. Embiid would instantly be the best player on the French national team, which earned a silver medal in the 2020 Summer Games.

The current group of players eligible for the 2024 Olympics include Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Frank Ntilikina, Theo Maledon and Victor Wembanyama. The last player is considered the overwhelming favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

If Embiid is added to that crop of players, the United States may face its most formidable test on the international stage since the Gasol-led Spain national team of the late 2000s and early 2010s.

A cynic would say James Harden, Daryl Morey and the Philadelphia 76ers have agreed to an under-the-table, multiyear plan to skirt the rules to try to build a championship contender. An NBA optimist, recognizing prearranged deals are illegal, would suggest that all sides are simply working together toward a common goal.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Harden has agreed to re-sign with the Sixers on a "two-year, $68.6 million contract, including a player option for the 2023-24 season."

Harden will undoubtedly opt out of his final year at $35.6 million to sign at a new max salary starting at $46.6 million—at least that's what more than one competing executive expects.

The perception, to some, has the Sixers rewarding Harden for helping Morey, president of basketball operations, "bring the band back together," as an NBA agent termed it—referring to the former Houston Rockets players recently added to the Philadelphia roster.

That's where Morey seems to be looking back maybe more than he's looking ahead.

Harden, declining his $47.4 million option, amounts to a projected $14.4 million pay cut, allowing Morey to use the team's non-taxpayer mid-level exception on PJ Tucker and bi-annual exception on Danuel House (who both played with Harden, under Morey, in Houston).

But did the 76ers go far enough with a one-plus-one? Why didn't the team want a long-term arrangement at a cheaper price?

Had Harden opted in or re-signed at the max, the 76ers wouldn't have had the flexibility to sign both former Rockets. But Tucker is 37. House is a role player. Harden will be 34 by opening night in 2023, presumably re-signed at the max if the cynic is correct.

The move was close to the B/R recommendation from May that Harden should opt out to sign a cheaper but still substantiative multiyear deal in Philadelphia. The move would save the franchise significant luxury taxes, of which part could be kicked back to Harden via a longer deal at a lower price.

Harden once again holds leverage as he did in Brooklyn with the Nets before he forced his way to Philadelphia.

The Sixers could have used the opportunity to lock him in on a longer deal near $35 million per season—similar to what Chris Paul did in Phoenix with the Suns. Paul opted out to take a lower salary ahead of the 2021-22 season on a more lucrative four-year, $120 million contract (with $75 million guaranteed).

Or maybe it's the 76ers who are hedging their bets. Joel Embiid is in his prime, while Harden may not be anymore.

"I'm sure since we got him, everybody expected the Houston James Harden, but that's not who he is anymore," was Embiid's take after the Miami Heat eliminated the Sixers in the conference semifinals last season.

Whether it's new rule interpretations or just slippage, Harden's ability to attack the basket and parade to the free-throw line has dipped. His defense was never a strength.

While Embiid, 28, has eclipsed Harden as an MVP candidate, he clearly needs help. Like so many of the great big men in the history of the NBA, he's reliant on guards to get him the ball. Philadelphia should be strong with Harden, Tobias Harris, Tyrese Maxey, De'Anthony Melton and now Tucker and House.

This may be one of the best supporting casts Embiid has had since he played with Jimmy Butler in 2018-19, but that's supposing Harden resurges.

Maybe those worrying about circumvention are just paranoid. Perhaps Morey is protecting the Sixers from overinvesting in Harden. The guard took a discount, and the 76ers could hold the line on a similarly priced contract next season should he opt out.

Still, locking him down longer on a better number could prevent overpaying Harden should he spike this season. That may be why the cynics are convinced Philadelphia is working the system to gain flexibility and then pay Harden.

Embiid needs that star running mate, and while Harden is a high-volume shooter, he is also a willing playmaker. It could still work, but it's dangerous tying up so much in two stars if one is fading.

Morey, Harden and the Sixers may have come together creatively to forge a champion. But If the two can't fully mesh this year, is Morey strong enough to pivot should Harden opt out?

Or will the relationship, forged through years of working together in Houston, take priority over the product on the court?

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com, and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.