James Harden is one of the most polarizing figures in sports. One of the most talented players in the NBA, Harden always seems to find himself in both on and off-the-court drama. Most recently, the Philadelphia 76ers superstar, who has requested a trade this offseason, had some harsh comments for Sixers president Daryl Morey.

“Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he is a part of,” the 10-time All-Star said during an Adidas event in China. “Let me say that again: Daryl Morey is a liar, and I will never be a part of an organization that he is a part of.”

Harden's comments come during a time when he has been frustrated with the organization's refusal to either trade him or give him a contract extension. His statement on Morey comes only days after the Sixers announced that they had taken Harden's name out of trade considerations. The sequence of events has shocked the NBA, but it is by no means the first time a Harden quote sent the NBA world into a frenzy.

Harden is usually mild-mannered, and he doesn't say a lot, but he always makes his thoughts known when he feels strongly about something. When he does feels strongly about something, it tends to send the whole basketball world into chaos.

After his comments on Morey, here are seven more of James Harden's other wildest quotes and moments.

Comments on Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Harden have a lengthy history, but things came to a climax with their beef around the 2020 All-Star game. Both players had already won the MVP by the time Antetokounmpo was a 2020 All-Star captain.

While selecting his team, the Bucks star picked Kemba Walker over Harden, justifying his choice by saying, “I want somebody who's going to pass the ball.”

Harden was tenth in the league in assists at that point, while Walker was 36th. Harden clearly wasn't thrilled about Antetokounmpo's jab. In an interview with Rachel Nichols, Harden said, “I wish I was seven feet and could run and just dunk, like that takes no skill at all.”

While he didn't mention Antetokounmpo by name, it was pretty clear that the comments were aimed at the Bucks forward.

MVP thoughts

In line with the Harden and Antetokounmpo beef was their battles for MVP through the years. Harden won the 2018 MVP, while Antetokounmpo won back-to-back MVPs in the succeeding years.

Harden felt as though he was the rightful winner of the 2019 MVP. The guard averaged 36.1 points per game, the most ever for someone not named Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain.

“Well, it's obvious: It was the media's fault,” Harden said during a Houston radio appearance when asked why he wasn't named the MVP. “It's out of my control. I think once the media, they create a narrative about somebody from the beginning of the year. I think they just take the narrative and run with it the entire year.”

Harden clearly believed that he was the rightful MVP and that Antetokounmpo had only won because the media wanted him to. While the rightful winner of the 2019 MVP could be debated, it is crazy to argue that Antetokounmpo didn't have a legitimate case for the league's highest regular season honor.

Trade request from Houston

With Harden's latest trade request from the 76ers, the star has now requested trades from three organizations, including the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets.

In 2021, Harden requested a trade from Houston, the team he spent the majority of his career with.

“[We're] just not good enough…I love this city. I literally have done everything that I can. I mean, this situation is crazy. It's something that I don't think can be fixed.”

Harden's comments confirmed that he wanted out of Houston, leading to one of the biggest trade requests in NBA history.

Trade request from Brooklyn

The former MVP was soon traded to the Brooklyn Nets, but it only took parts of two seasons in Brooklyn with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant before James Harden requested yet another trade.

Harden tried to make his trade request quiet because of the backlash he received from how he handled himself at the end of his Houston tenure. But reports of his request went public, and Harden was soon thereafter moved to the 76ers.

“I knew people were going to talk and say ‘You quit' and all that stuff,” Harden said.  “But then the following summer, the other superstar there wanted to leave. So it's like: Am I still the quitter?”

These Harden comments came after Harden had already been traded and when fellow stars Irving and Durant also wanted out of Brooklyn. While his comments were meant to prove that the Nets franchise was dysfunctional, it doesn't erase the fact that he was the first member of the big three to request a trade, and it was the second time in only a couple of years that he had given up on his current team.

Harden defends his defense

Harden is one of the best offensive forces in league history, but it is well-documented that he has been a poor defender throughout his career.

When asked about teams targeting him on defense in 2020, Harden said, “Come try it, and the s*** won't work.

While Harden's defense has improved in recent years, it is still funny that Harden was so oblivious to his defensive shortcomings.

Humor during post-game interview

While many of James Harden's quotes have been serious, the former MVP has also been known to have a sense of humor. In a 2015 post-game interview, it was pointed out that no one had back-to-back 43-point games since Moses Malone in 1982.

Harden, who had just accomplished the feat, responded by joking that, “I wasn't even born yet.”

Harden was on a scoring terror, and the interviewer mentioned that he had his rhythm now, to which Harden responded with a memeable face that stated that was obvious.

While his quote on Malone was in good faith and harmless, the quote was ironic because years later, Moses Malone Jr., the son of Malone, sued Harden for allegedly orchestrating a robbery on Malone Jr.

Hanging out with rappers

While James Harden's on-court play has never suffered, the guard has often been criticized for his love of nightlife. Harden has been known to stay out late and party during the NBA season. He also has been known to hang out with rappers, including a friendship with Lil Baby.

While there is nothing wrong with his off-the-court choices and friendships, many fans have felt that Harden should eliminate off-court distractions and focus on basketball. So, some fans weren't happy with his choice to prioritize going to the studio with rappers Meek Mill, Lil Durk, and Lil Baby rather than catching up on sleep before a practice.

When describing the story of going to the studio with his rap buddies, Harden said, “They all call me like, ‘Yo, we are about to pull up to Houston.' Baby, Durk, Meek.” Harden continued, “They all come to the house from Atlanta, like 2 in the morning. I gotta go to practice in the morning. They come in the studio, and I'm up with them the whole time.” “And I go right from the studio at 7:30 a.m. right to practice.”

While Harden made it to practice, and his off-the-court choices have never affected his play, it is still funny that Harden is so straightforward about his nightlife preferences.