Back in January of 2021, an out of shape, downtrodden James Harden stepped to the podium following the latest embarrassing loss for that iteration of the Rockets and flat out said the team just “[wasn’t good enough.” Days later, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, and since then has had stops in Philadelphia, Los Angeles, and Cleveland.
Despite bouncing around the NBA like a gypsy, Harden has maintained Houston as his home, living here in the offseason. Harden tends to stay off the grid here in Houston, but early Saturday morning he was very much on the grid, as Harden was arrested and is now facing misdemeanor charges for unlawful carrying of a gun inside a motor vehicle. Harden, 36, was arrested at 3:41 a.m. and was booked in the Harris County Jail at 4:57 a.m. He was released on bond later Saturday morning. Harden has a court date set for June 22.
I didn’t have Harden necessarily pegged as a “gun guy,” but the fact of the matter is, these days, a star of Harden’s level, especially one that treats 2:30 a.m. like most people treat 2:30 p.m., probably carries one for security purposes, if nothing else. Here are a few other thoughts on this unfortunate offseason bit of news:
This continues a rough couple months for Harden
When Harden was traded to the Cavaliers just before the NBA’s February trade deadline, he was welcomed with open arms, as another All Star (albeit an aging one) to pair along side Donovan Mitchell. Over time, though, the Cavaliers and their fans learned what five other teams and fan bases have learmed since 2009 — Harden cannot be trusted in the postseason. The Knicks swept the Cavaliers out of the playoffs, in a series where the Knicks repeatedly attacked Harden on defense, and where offensively Harden had two games in which he committed more turnovers than made field goals. Now, with his idle time cleared on his calendar because he is NOT in the NBA Finals, Harden gets pinched for a gun charge. Not great.
The terms of his release might put a crimp in Harden’s social life
According to a court document, the terms of Harden’s bond release ban him from possessing any firearms, ammunition or other weapons. Again, not knowing how big a gun enthusiast Harden may or may not be, I don’t know if this has a major effect on his lifestyle. Also, according to the terms of the bond, Harden must submit to a random urinalysis and is also prohibited from consuming alcohol, controlled substances, drugs or marijuana unless a doctor prescribes it. Knowing far more about Harden’;s social life than I do his “gun life,” and knowing his extreme love for night clubs and strip clubs, the alcohol stipulation might put a crimp in his lifestyle. I’m not shedding any tears for Harden, but it may be just Coke Zero for him when he’s at Treasures for the foreseeable future.
What’s next for Harden?
Harden is set to become a free agent within the next few weeks, should he choose to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Cavaliers, which is set to pay him $42 million, with just $13.3 million of that number guaranteed. The belief around the league is that Harden will opt out of that contract, and then sign a more team friendly deal with the Cavaliers, allowing them to make moves to fortify the roster. Harden’s arrest at least raises the question as to how this effects the Cavs’ desire to bring him back.
If Harden were still performing at an All-NBA level in the regular season, like back in 2018, then the answer is easy. Of course, you still bring him back. He’s certainly not at that level anymore, and the playoff choke jobs are now an annual tradition. Still, the Cavs, on the aggregate, are a better team with Harden than without him, so I doubt this news affects their plans. We shall see.
