James Harden’s physique has been the cause of some trolling ever since his Rockets days, and more recently got triggered on his China tour. The videos going around the internet have not done him any favors, and despite being back for almost a month, he’s still facing a lot of scrutiny from fans for his physical appearance as he prepares for his 17th NBA season.
Listed at 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, Harden averaged 22.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game last season, showing that he’s still a massive value addition to the Clippers team and easily maintains his high-IQ play across the entire season, even at his age.
Last time he was seen, it looked like he was not in playing shape, and one could predict that as the season comes closer, he’ll work on getting fitter. The latest video shared by the Instagram handle sideline sources shows that he’s looking very different from a month ago and is probably sweating it out in the gym. But that has not stopped fans from incessantly trolling the Beard.
https://www.instagram.com/p/p:DOCe-U5AFs3
One IG user went on to compare Harden to the recent comeback by Mike Tyson, who got embarrassed at an old age by influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul. The user said, “It’s like watching those 30-second training videos of Mike Tyson before we watched him get abused by that dork Jake Paul.”
“His build is frying me.”
“Him and Deebo Samuel gotta be the two worst built high performance athletes ever”
“Bro is locked in for another second-round exit.”
“All them lamb chop platters from the clubs catching up to bro”
“Bro needs to lose some weight if he wants to play longer and effectively.”
“Took that man 10 seconds to change directions.”
“Permanently shaped like an old man”
“Won’t fool me again. First round exit. Good regular season. Disappears in the playoffs. Clippers let down”
The Los Angeles Clippers are the oldest team in NBA history. After trading for 40-year-old Chris Paul and reuniting the two former Houston Rockets teammates, they officially have an average age of 33.2 years. That marks them above the 2000-01 Utah Jazz, who held the record for over two decades with an average age of 32.0 years.
36-year-old James Harden has been without a ring despite a stellar career with an MVP trophy, three NBA scoring titles, and being part of the 75th Anniversary team. But without a ring, he’ll join greats such as Charles Barkley, John Stockton, and Allen Iverson.
Not bad company to be in, but Harden should be looking to bounce back harder than ever and go for one last ride with his former Rockets teammate, Chris Paul, with whom he came the closest to winning it all.
The Clippers have an aging but loaded roster featuring Bradley Beal, Kawhi Leonard, Bogdan Bogdanović, and Derrick Jones Jr, along with Paul and Harden. But with a loaded Western Conference that produced last year’s young NBA champs, an aging roster means the entire team will need to come together for a championship bid, miraculously.
Harden has a real chance to rally his squad and himself, making a final run for the coveted trophy that is missing from his cabinet. But will he live up to the task or perpetuate his image of being a choker in the playoffs? Let us know what you think in the comments section.
