James Harden had a hell of a debut with the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night.

The newest Sixers guard piled on 27 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds in a 133-102 rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Things looked business as usual for the Beard with step-back threes and an endless parade of free throws on drives to the rim

But beyond the box score, it was the apparent synergy he had with his new team that really stood out. It was a far cry from how he looked during his final days with the Brooklyn Nets. The Beard was downright vibing with the Sixers roster.

Asked about the rumblings around the league that he was a “bad teammate” after forcing his way out of two teams in the last two seasons, James Harden had a rather interesting clap back that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving may not exactly agree with.

Via Sixers reporter Keith Pompey:

“Why? I don't know why. That's the media saying that. I feel like I'm one of the best teammates the NBA has seen, on the court and off the court,” the Sixers guard said as Joel Embiid nodded in agreement beside him. “I mean just because the current situation happened, it doesn't mean that I'm a bad teammate. Me personally, I just feel like I needed to do what's best for my career, help myself, and be happy. That doesn't harp on whether I'm a bad teammate or not.”

Things may have turned sour in Brooklyn, but nobody's questioning whether or not James Harden is being a good teammate with the Sixers. By all accounts, he's completely bought into the team from the moment he stepped into the facility. Even Joel Embiid vouched for him amid the bad teammate narrative.

“He’s a great person, a great personality,” said the Sixers big man on James Harden's presence since joining the team. “Always smiling. Fun to be around. His presence – on the team, and on the floor – has really changed us a lot since he got here.”

One could argue that this could very well be deja vu from last season. After James Harden was traded to the Nets they looked like the odds on favorite to win the NBA championship. He seemed to be having just as much fun when showed glimpses as the most unstoppable offensive team in recent memory.

However, the key difference here is that it's not the talent level around him that had James Harden getting cold feet in Brooklyn. It was the instability and questionable commitment he felt around him. With Kevin Durant sidelines and Kyrie Irving fighting battles off the court, it seemed as though he was ironically stuck in isolation. Not to mention the fact that both superstars have already won rings and proven their status as winners.

On the Sixers he finds a worth counterpart in Joel Embiid who's in the exact same boat as he is and a deep roster talented enough to keep things from being a two-man show. There's reason for optimism that “bad teammate” James Harden isn't showing up in Philly.