Nets Bench James Harden To “Protect Him From Himself”

The Nets organization made the executive decision to rule James Harden out of Wednesday’s game against the Utah Jazz as a measure to “protect him from himself.”

According to the New York Post, the decision follows Harden’s neck injury on Sunday.

The Nets star had been very much in doubt right through pregame warm-ups for Tuesday’s game in Portland before eventually suiting up. Even a day later, he was deemed questionable again for the matchup against the Jazz, the Nets reportedly benched him in an attempt to keep him healthy and ready to perform for Friday’s game in Detroit and beyond.

“I’m hoping it’s short term,” Nets’ coach Steve Nash said. “To be honest, I’m sure James would’ve wanted to play [in Utah]. But he’s not. I don’t think it’s safe for him to play, and I think sometimes you have to protect him from himself. He’s such a warrior and competitor and loves to play,” Nash explained.