James Harden shocked the basketball world today. In an unprecedented move, the NBA superstar — who currently plays guard for the Philadelphia 76ers — rejected the team’s initial offer of more than $47.4 million to re-sign with the team. The news was broken on Twitter by Shams Charania of The Athletic. Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden is declining his $47.4 million player option for the 2022-23 season and intends to return on a contract in free agency that gives the team financial flexibility to bolster the roster, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium . — Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022 If James Harden had accepted the offer, he would have been one of the highest-paid players in the league today, according to Highly Clutch. What’s more, the outlet confirms that Harden’s move serves as a stark contrast to the moves made by Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving — who re-signed their player deals with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Brooklyn Nets, respectively. With the...

James Harden is tipping his hat to the immortal Black Mamba. According to Boardroom TV, the Brooklyn Nets superstar has just released a new fragrance through Art of Sport that pays tribute to its co-founder — the late, great Kobe Bryant. The outlet reports that James Harden worked throughout 2021 on the packaging, coloring, and scent of the fragrance, which he ultimately called “Defy.” Defy is the second fragrance to ever come out by Art of Sport, with the first being “Victory,” released in 2019. “I named my signature fragrance Defy for every person chasing a dream,” James Harden said in a statement released to the outlet. “I challenge you to keep going until your dreams come true. I picked fragrances to create a smell that’s bold, luxurious, and uplifting. For the packaging color, I wanted something that spoke to Kobe and LA. LA raised me, you can say it raised Kobe, and Art of Sport was born in LA. This one’s for you, Bean! This one’s for the city!” Art of Sport / Steven Counts...

NBA star James Harden is taking his business and investor expertise to Saks’ luxury platform. The high-end e-commerce company has appointed the Brooklyn Nets player to its board to share his unique perspective as a fashion enthusiast in an effort to help expand its high-potential consumer brands. “I am honored to join the Saks board and to be a part of a company that is paving the future of luxury retail. This is an exciting opportunity for me to combine two of my personal passions – a love of fashion and teaming up with brands that have the potential to lead while making an impact on the communities they serve,” Harden said in a statement. “I look forward to working with the Saks team, and to having a direct impact on the company’s future success, the fashion community and its customers.” A press release reports that Harden’s appointment comes as the latest milestone for Saks’ strategy to become the premier luxury e-commerce platform in the fashion industry. With a proven track...