The Brooklyn Nets officially have a new look after James Harden departed last Thursday in a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Beard spoke to the Philly media for the first time on Tuesday and was asked about Kyrie Irving and if his vaccination status affected the team.

Harden kept it real with his answer. Via The Recount:

“Very minimal. Obviously, me and Kyrie are really good friends. Whatever he is going through, that's his personal preference but it definitely did impact the team because originally, me, Kyrie, KD on the court, you know, and winning covers up a lot of that stuff, but it was unfortunate we played just 16 games out of whatever it was and you know, it is what it is.”

The Nets' Big Three indeed played a mere 16 games together through a season and a half. Between injuries and Irving's refusal to get vaccinated, it was frankly a nightmare. It's no surprise that Kyrie's whole saga affected the team. Imagine a player just popping in and out of the rotation. There is no doubt it's going to disrupt team chemistry.

It's interesting to hear Harden say he's good friends with Kyrie because there were reports recently insinuating that the two weren't seeing eye to eye anymore. Nevertheless, it's a fresh start for Harden and a fresh start for the Nets. The experiment failed, but let's hope this Ben Simmons era translates into success.