Watch: James Harden, Houston Dynamo minority owner, gets hyped at U.S. Open Cup

James Harden was hyped at the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup final on Wednesday night at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Harden, who is one of the minority owners of the Houston Dynamo, celebrated the team's win over the Lionel Messi-less Inter Miami side.

In the video below, the disgruntled Philadelphia 76ers superstar can be seen enjoying his team's performance at the U.S. Open Cup final. Houston took the lead in the 24th minute with a goal from right-back Griffin Dorsey. Amine Bassi doubled their lead after converting from the spot nine minutes later.

Messi was out of the final due to a muscular injury. Star left back Jordi Alba also missed the game because of injuries. Josef Martinez came off the bench to score for Inter Miami in the 92nd minute, but it was too little too late. Houston won the U.S. Open Cup for the second time and their first trophy since 2018.

Here's the video of Harden's celebration:

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James Harden became a minority owner of the Houston Dynamo, as well as the Houston Dash and Shell Energy Stadium, on Jul.. 18, 2019.

Harden, who played most his career with the Houston Rockets, is one of several NBA players who have invested in an MLS team in the last few years.

"I'm very excited about the opportunity to join the ownership group of the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash and proud to be a part of a club with tremendous history and a great future," Harden said in 2019.

"Houston is my home now, and I saw this as a way to invest in my city and expand my business interests at the same time. Soccer in general, and especially MLS, have exploded in this country throughout my lifetime."

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Apart from James Harden, other NBA players who have an ownership stake in the MLS include Kevin Durant (Philadelphia Union), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Nashville SC), Dwyane Wade (Real Salt Lake) and Magic Johnson (LAFC).

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Will James Harden get traded?

James Harden's situation with the Philadelphia 76ers got so ugly in the offseason that the NBA had to intervene.

Since Harden called Sixers general manager Daryl Morey a liar, the rumors surrounding him died down. However, an Eastern Conference executive told ESPN that Morey might have a tough time trading the former MVP.

"I don't think he wants to trade him, and I don't know if someone is willing to give enough for him to move him," the executive said. "He has to win this year, so it's only a trade that helps you do that. And what other team is doing that?"

Training camp starts next week, so it will be interesting to see if Harden reports to the Sixers. The new CBA prevents Harden from having any leverage if he decides to not show up and have a holdout.

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