Philadelphia 76ers star guard James Harden recently returned to practice following a 10-day excused absence while he dealt with a personal matter. Upon his return to practice, Harden was informed that it would benefit both sides if he stayed in Philadelphia to work out rather than joining the Sixers on their season-opening road trip.
According to Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes, Harden attempted to board the team flight on Wednesday, but was stopped by a security official and informed he wasn't traveling with the team. Harden was reportedly frustrated after being denied entry, but he left the airport without any sort of altercation.
Haynes also reports the Sixers had a workout program in place to monitor Harden's ramp-up progress and speed through a tracking system. That particular tracking monitor is located at the team's practice facility.
Harden hasn't been fined or disciplined for his time away from the team.
While Harden appears to be committed to playing for the Sixers, he still has made it clear he wants to be traded out of Philadelphia. Harden picked up his player option earlier this summer under the assumption the team would trade him, but nothing ever materialized on that front.
