Harden responds to multiple team changes: Loyalty is overrated; the core is winning championships and ensuring financial security for family.

On February 12th Beijing time, Harden scored 13 points and provided 11 assists to lead the Cavaliers to a win over the Wizards. Since joining the Cavaliers, the team has won all three games. After the match, Harden was interviewed by the media and questioned about his frequent team transfers.

A reporter asked Harden, "Now that superstars are changing teams more frequently, why do you think the era of one player sticking to one franchise is over?"

Harden, who has applied for trades four times in the last six years, answered, "Ultimately, this is basketball. The so-called loyalty, I think, is overrated. This is a business involving a lot of money, and many decisions have to be made based on interests."

"When players underperform or the team sees no future, management needs to protect their jobs and will trade players; if players are unhappy, they will also request trades. There are many complex factors involved. This isn’t just in the NBA — ordinary people face similar issues at work, but theirs aren’t magnified like this."

Then Harden spoke about himself. "For me, the core focus has always been winning championships while ensuring my family’s financial security. I’m very rational and have sacrificed a lot of money, which is rarely mentioned, but internally I feel fulfilled. So to answer your question, this is a business. Players ultimately have to make the best choices for themselves, and management does too. It’s two sides of the same coin."

Before answering that question, Harden also responded to a question about the Cavaliers’ championship hopes. A reporter asked, "Mitchell said that after this trade, expectations are sky-high and you’re here to compete for the title. It’s been less than a week — do you think this locker room already has the pieces needed to win a championship?"

Harden replied, "Yes. There have been very few times in my career I’ve been this confident in saying that. But we have depth, shooting, athleticism, and versatility — absolutely enough to compete for the championship."

Do you believe in Harden’s chances to win the championship? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.