James Harden was just one of the many big names present at the Fanatics Fest at New York’s Javits Center on Saturday. Harden was speaking on the stage at one point when a fan surprisingly yelled at him to win a championship.
“I will, I’m trying,” Harden said.
Fan: “Win a championship!”
James Harden: “I will, I’m trying!”
💀💀💀 (via @offsportsplace, @FanaticsFest) pic.twitter.com/GAUKhc7S14
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 21, 2025
A championship is the only thing missing from Harden’s resume. The 35-year-old has won an MVP, three scoring titles, and two assists titles in his 16 seasons in the NBA. Harden has also made 11 All-Star and eight All-NBA teams, and was voted into the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team.
For all of Harden’s success, though, he has developed a reputation for being a playoff dropper. He has come up short one too many times in the postseason by now, and that was the case this year as well.
Harden and the Los Angeles Clippers faced off against the Denver Nuggets in a thrilling first-round series in 2025. The series would go the distance, and the Clippers were given a shot at winning Game 7 in Denver. That much-anticipated clash would end up being a dud, though.
The Nuggets blew out the Clippers 120-101, and Harden was a no-show. He had just seven points (2-8 FG), five rebounds, 13 assists, two steals, and one block on the night.
The defeat led to Harden becoming the first player in NBA history to lose a Game 7 with four different teams. While you can’t always blame a player for a team’s shortcomings, it’s not unfair to point the finger at the guard.
Harden averages 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists, 2.6 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game in Game 7s in his career. He struggles with efficiency, too, shooting 35.5% from the field and 22.4% from beyond the arc.
This was a second straight first-round exit for Harden, and you wonder if he will ever accomplish that goal of winning a title. He made the NBA Finals in 2011 in just his second season in the league with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but hasn’t gotten back to that stage since.
At this point, you wouldn’t fancy Harden’s chances of winning a championship with the Clippers either. They had a great opportunity to go on a deep run this year with Kawhi Leonard finally being healthy, but fell at the very first hurdle.
Despite that setback, Harden and the Clippers are interested in continuing their partnership, according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. He has a $36.3 million player option for the 2025-26 season and is likely to decline it to sign a deal through the 2026-27 season.
While Harden disappointed in the postseason, he does deserve to get a tidy extension this offseason. He averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in 2024-25 to make the All-NBA Third Team. It was a great bounce-back campaign, and it’s a pity Harden wasn’t able to end it on a positive note.
