James Harden just etched his name into the wrong side of NBA history. With the Los Angeles Clippers’ Game 7 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Harden has now lost a Game 7 with four different teams: the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and now the Clippers. No other star in NBA history carries that burden.
Four different jerseys. Four do-or-die chances. Four crushing exits.
It’s a career pattern that’s become as defining as Harden’s stepback three. For all the MVP-caliber seasons, the scoring titles, and elite playmaking, Harden has never delivered the moment. Game 7 has become his kryptonite.
It began in Houston in 2018, the year he won MVP and led the Rockets to 65 wins. That Western Conference Finals showdown against the Golden State Warriors was his best shot. No Chris Paul in Game 7.
Harden finished with 32 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, solid numbers but also went 2-of-13 from three in a game where Houston famously missed 27 straight threes. The Rockets were the favorites. That was the opportunity. And it vanished.
Then came Brooklyn in 2021. Alongside Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, Harden had redemption within reach. But an untimely hamstring injury left him hobbled, and a Game 7 against Milwaukee came down to inches, Durant’s foot on the line in OT.
Harden gutted through 53 minutes with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists on 5-of-17 shooting. Close, but not enough.
Philly in 2023 was perhaps the low point. In Game 7 against Boston, Harden went missing, just 9 points on 3-of-11 shooting. Another playoff meltdown, and with it, his Sixers stint came to a disappointing end.
Now, in 2025, Harden had a chance for redemption once again with the Clippers. But against the Nuggets, the result was painfully familiar. He posted 7 points, 13 assists, and 5 rebounds on 2-of-8 shooting. He was a -29 in 35 minutes, easily the worst mark of any Clipper on the floor.
Denver, led by Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon, overwhelmed L.A. with a balanced attack and elite ball movement. Meanwhile, the Clippers, who entered the season hoping Harden could fill the void left by Paul George, once again watched their season crumble under the weight of playoff pressure.
Harden’s Game 7 averages now sit at 19.3 points, 7.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game across seven such contests. Respectable on the surface, but beneath the numbers lies a troubling trend—inefficiency, passivity, and fourth quarters where Harden fades.
The resume still screams Hall of Fame. But the legacy? It’s incomplete. Game 7 is where greats become legends. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant they rose in those moments. For Harden, those moments keep slipping through his fingers.
Four teams. Four heartbreaks. The story of James Harden’s postseason struggles isn’t about talent. It’s about timing. And until he rewrites his Game 7 script, this ghost will haunt him forever.
