James Harden’s absence from 76ers trip reportedly prompts NBA investigation

James Harden’s absence from the Philadelphia 76ers’ season-opening road trip continues to generate headlines. The NBA is currently investigating to determine the reason behind his lack of participation, as per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The 10-time All-Star will not be playing in the team’s first game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night, as fans found out on Wednesday. Moreover, he is also expected to miss the game against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday.

News of the league’s probe came after it was reported by Chris Haynes that Harden had attempted to join the Sixers for both road games. Unfortunately, he was prevented from boarding the plane by a security official.

This incident occurred after Harden had been away from the team for 10 days, reportedly skipping practice to stay in Houston. On the day the team was scheduled to leave, Harden showed up at Philadelphia’s facilities with his bags packed, prompting the coaching staff to make the decision of keeping him in Philadelphia to avoid distractions, according to Yahoo Sport’s Vincent Goodwill.

According to Haynes’ report, the team had wanted Harden to stay home and work out to prepare for his season debut. However, Harden apparently interpreted this as a mere recommendation.

This story will be updated.