James Harden says he doesn’t like how his exit from Houston played out

In an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, James Harden talked about his exit from the Houston Rockets.

“I pretty much reached and accomplished every individual stat or award I can or would want to [win],” said Harden. “It’s always been about winning. Obviously, we fall short and don’t reach the goal. That’s the ultimate reason for my decision and the ultimate reason I’m here with Brooklyn to still chase that goal and dream.”

Harden was traded by the Rockets to the Brooklyn Nets in January.

“I don’t like it all because that’s not who I am. The drama. The extra, whatever you want to call it. The negativity, for me, I don’t really like negative energy. It’s draining. I don’t like how it necessarily happened. I feel like it could have happened a lot smoother, a lot easier. It is what it is.”

Harden was asked if he regrets how he handled his departure.

“No, because I wasn’t trying to be disrespectful. I wasn’t trying to be selfish. I feel like the front office knew where I stood and what I wanted. I apologized for how it went down but I guess I had to do what to do in order to get to where I wanted to go.”