James Harden controversy erupts minutes into new NBA season

The new NBA season lasted only a few minutes before a James Harden foul controversy erupted, leaving Boston Celtics fans furious at their Philadelphia counterparts.

The 76ers visited the reigning Eastern Conference champions to kick off the 2022/23 NBA season, and it wasn't long before Harden drew the ire of the home crowd.

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Notorious for his ability to draw fouls from a defender, Harden was awarded three free throws in the first quarter after Celtics big man Al Horford closed out hard on a three-point attempt.

Harden landed on Horford's foot, triggering a flagrant foul for occupying the shooter's landing area - but Celtics fans were furious and NBA observers wondering if Harden had kicked his leg out to draw the foul.

It was a crucial early call against the Celtics, Horford's second foul coming very early in the first quarter and sending him to the bench.

Celtics coach Joe Mezzulo was unsuccessful in challenging the decision, leading to a chorus of jeers from the home fans.

While an otherwise compelling contest between the Eastern Conference rivals was somewhat overshadowed by a string of foul calls, the chippiness didn't end there.

After shaking last season's defensive player of the year Marcus Smart to the floor, Harden shimmied his shoulders before launching a wide open three later in the first half - only to brick the shot badly.

He made up for it in the dying minutes of the second quarter when, faced with the shot clock dwindling and Boston's Jaylen Brown and Smart in close proximity, Harden cashed in a stunning desperation heave.

A further controversy broke out early in the third quarter, when Smart and All-Star centre Joel Embiid got tangled up going for a rebound, resulting in Smart being thrown to the ground.

This also sparked debate among fans, with Embiid called for an offensive foul after pinning Smart's arm after grabbing the rebound.

The return of the NBA comes after an often-dramatic off-season fuelled by an unusual amount of controversy - even for news hungry basketball fans.

The sport has never been more exciting, its depth of talent never so deep. Yet, the summer was filled with drama that had little to do with the game itself.

It almost makes you wonder if the NBA prefers it that way. Or, at least, its promotion of superstars and the rise of player empowerment both embrace the soap opera.

NBA regular season returns after controversy-filled off-season

Not even a league that has deftly transformed itself into a 12-month headline factory in recent years would want the kind of public relations that bookended this summer.

The NBA did not even make it to free agency before the wife of Miles Bridges — one of the biggest names on the market — shared disturbing images of an alleged assault that resulted in a domestic violence charge against the unsigned Charlotte Hornets star.

The weeks leading into training camp revealed an investigative report that confirmed Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver's history of alleged racism, misogyny and other hostile workplace misconduct, followed by another that resulted in the yearlong suspension of Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka for multiple team violations, including reports of an allegedly improper relationship with a female member of the team staff.

We could hardly digest the breadth of misconduct across the NBA before Warriors forward Draymond Green violently punched ill-prepared teammate Jordan Poole during a practice.

Golden State's leaders appeared more upset by the notion that video of the incident leaked than they were about the incident itself. Green will be in uniform for the Warriors on opening night.

In between that series of alarming events were the kinds of persistent hot-stove rumours the NBA surely covets, even if they resulted in embarrassment for the league's brightest stars and biggest media markets.

Kevin Durant requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets in the hours before free agency on June 30. Three days earlier, Kyrie Irving received permission to seek his own sign-and-trade exit strategy.

As the calendar turned to August without momentum toward a deal, Durant reportedly demanded the Nets fire head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks if they did not trade him.

Two weeks later, he rescinded his ultimatum, as both sides agreed to "move forward with our partnership."

Irving had long since come to the same realisation that no team was willing to meet Brooklyn's asking price for him and picked up his option.

Meanwhile, LeBron James and the Los Angles Lakers dealt with constant speculation and trade rumours surrounding Russell Westbrook, only for the former MVP to remain on the roster for opening night.

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